by our College Data Analytics TeamLearn the essential details every data science major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering data science programs.
In the U.S., data science draws strong interest, with 7,716 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Data Science Schools ranking analyzes these 248 schools to determine the best overall colleges for data science students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of data science programs later in this article.
Coursework for Data Science develop a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations data science graduates commonly enter.
The skill set emphasized by a data science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a data science major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several data science 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 | 8 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 52 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 2,486 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 5,132 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 31 |
People currently working in careers related to data science tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 59.0% |
| Master’s degree | 20.5% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 4.1% |
| Doctoral degree | 3.9% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 3.1% |
| Some college courses | 3.0% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2.4% |
| Post-doctoral training | 2.4% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 1.6% |
| First professional degree | 0.1% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in data science careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying data science prepares you for many career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to data science.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to data science.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Postsecondary Teachers, All Other | 964,215 | -0.1% |
| Business Intelligence Analysts | 585,851 | 1.3% |
| Clinical Research Coordinators | 542,888 | 10.4% |
| Data Scientists | 507,848 | 8.1% |
| Database Architects | 335,771 | 4.3% |
| Statisticians | 307,132 | 6.6% |
| Clinical Data Managers | 300,656 | -0.9% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 179,495 | 8.7% |
Salaries for data science graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers data science grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Water Resource Specialists | $179,716 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $175,079 |
| Database Architects | $148,480 |
| Business Intelligence Analysts | $143,840 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $132,227 |
| Statisticians | $130,349 |
| Biostatisticians | $121,594 |
| Data Warehousing Specialists | $117,424 |
With 248 different data science programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased data science school rankings to help you.
Students interested in data science, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Data Science, General | 7,668 |
| Data Science, Other | 48 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 30,141 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 28,033 |
| Data Analytics | 12,891 |
| MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES | 10,355 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 5,740 |
| Nutrition Sciences | 5,456 |
| Behavioral Sciences | 5,391 |
| Sustainability Studies | 4,374 |
| Cognitive Science | 3,121 |
| Natural Sciences | 2,648 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
