by our College Data Analytics TeamA degree in Data Analytics, General explores A Program That Prepares Individuals To Apply Data Science To Generate Insights From Data And Identify And Predict Trends. Includes Instruction In Computer Databases, Computer Programming, Inference, Machine Learning, Optimization, Probability And Stochastic Models, Statistics, Strategy, Uncertainty Quantification, And Visual Analytics. Read on to learn the important information every data analytics, general student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering data analytics, general programs.
Across the country, data analytics, general draws strong interest, with 1,675 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Data Analytics, General Schools ranking analyzes these 106 schools to determine the best overall colleges for data analytics, general students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of data analytics, general programs later in this article.
Studies in Data Analytics, General develop a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations data analytics, general graduates commonly enter.
The skill set emphasized by a data analytics, general program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Based on O*NET data, a data analytics, general major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several data analytics, general degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 2 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 8 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 172 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 1,491 |
People currently working in careers related to data analytics, general tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 65.0% |
| Master’s degree | 20.8% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 4.8% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 3.6% |
| Some college courses | 3.1% |
| Doctoral degree | 2.1% |
| Post-doctoral training | 0.6% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in data analytics, general careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Majoring in data analytics, general can lead to numerous career paths. Here are some of the most common occupations related to data analytics, general.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to data analytics, general.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Postsecondary Teachers, All Other | 964,215 | -0.1% |
| Computer Programmers | 666,800 | 11.7% |
| Business Intelligence Analysts | 585,851 | 1.3% |
| Data Scientists | 507,848 | 8.1% |
| Management Analysts | 484,759 | 12.6% |
| Statisticians | 307,132 | 6.6% |
| Clinical Data Managers | 300,656 | -0.9% |
| Biostatisticians | 76,966 | 7.4% |
Salaries for data analytics, general graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers data analytics, general grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Business Intelligence Analysts | $143,840 |
| Statisticians | $130,349 |
| Biostatisticians | $121,594 |
| Computer Programmers | $109,892 |
| Data Scientists | $106,295 |
| Clinical Data Managers | $99,475 |
| Postsecondary Teachers, All Other | $68,967 |
| Management Analysts | $51,034 |
With 106 different data analytics, general programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased data analytics, general school rankings to help you.
Students interested in data analytics, general, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Business Analytics | 9,273 |
| Financial Analytics | 1,644 |
| Data Analytics, Other | 232 |
| Data Visualization | 67 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
