Study Computer Science Overview

Whether you're one of the many international students weighing the relative merits of a handful of fields prior to making your final decision, or if you've already decided to study IT, it is worth noting some of the benefits to study computer science in the US.

The field of computer science is incredibly diverse and useful in daily life, and is getting more so by the day. As the third most popular major among international students in the US, the field is popular because of job security, starting salaries, high level of job diversity, and because the field is demanding- with infinite room for growth and creativity.

What is Computer Science

As a computer science major, you will be fully immersed in the dynamic world of technology. Computer science typically appeals to students who excel at logical and critical thinking and problem solving, and who thrive in an environment that constantly encourages these things. Computer science majors start by getting a feel for programming languages, algorithms, and operating systems, and, once these things become second nature, they use this knowledge to build websites, mine data, and much more. Relevant fields of study typically include math courses like statistics, calculus, and advanced forms of algebra, along with introductory computer classes that cover things like abstract data and algorithms. From here, students will be able to grasp concepts such as data visualization and cryptography, and move on to more complicated, demanding, and specialized courses. There are different undergraduate degrees in computer science available to international students in the US. A Bachelor of Arts in computer science is generally more broad and entry-level, and enables students to study anything they’d like after graduation, including computer science-specific fields. A Bachelor of Science in computer science, however, is curated more towards the student who is committed to having a future in the field of computer science, and wants to knock out as many required courses as possible as early as they can.

Career Options in Computer Science

The field of computer science is a vast, constantly expanding discipline with many sub-disciplines and applications that span virtually every industry. Generally speaking, computer science is the study of computer technology, with focus on software systems for the most part, although there is some focus on hardware . However, that definition doesn't nearly grasp the full range of sub-disciplines (most of which are full-fledged specialized disciplines in and of themselves) encompassed in the field such as networking, data systems, game development, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, robotics, simulation and modeling, statistics, cryptography, and computational physics and chemistry. As you can imagine, as the world grows more and more reliant on technology, computer science becomes a crucial part of any industry, company, or operation. This endless variety of career specialization within the field means that the demand for computer science students is incredibly high, and an undergraduate computer science degree can be attained at almost any institution in the US, with more strict specialization taking place at the graduate level. This ensures that international students who decide to study computer science in the US will be able to customize their college experience to fit their unique desires and needs, with programs available at optimal locations, optimal cost, and more.

If you need additional funding to study computer science, explore financial resource options like scholarships and loans.

Learn More

Quality of Education

International students looking to study computer science in the US don’t just have a large amount of program options to choose from; they also have access to the highest quality programs that the world has to offer. Not only does a computer science degree from a US institution carry its own weight as a mark of competence, knowledge, and skill, but across the board, most (6 out of 10) of the top schools for computer science are in the US, (according to U.S. News and World Report) and the three best schools for computer science are US schools.

Availability of Work

The amount of international students choosing to study computer science in the United States, in correspondence with the demand for skilled workers in this field, is growing exponentially. According to the World University Rankings , computer science is tied at $116,000 as the degree with the fifth-highest reported median salary mid-career. One of the biggest problems facing today’s college graduates, and a problem that is growing increasingly pervasive, is the problem of not finding relevant career opportunities post-graduation. Computer science is one of the fields that is an obvious exception to this issue, as there will likely never be a shortage of demand for skilled workers in this field, and you are practically guaranteed a meaningful, successful, and engaging career upon graduation. Many computer science departments boast career-track job placement over 90%.. Not only do those who study IT have the security of employment awaiting them, chances are that the student will have the luxury of choosing the career that fits them and their passions best due to the ubiquitous application of computer science across industries. Whether an application in entertainment, engineering, government, medicine, communications, education, defense, or business and commerce, the world turns on technology and those with computer science degrees will have their pick of how to utilize their in-demand skills in a lucrative career of their choosing.