by our College Data Analytics TeamA major in Data Science, General covers A Program That Focuses On The Analysis Of Large Scale Data Sources From The Interdisciplinary Perspectives Of Applied Statistics, Computer Science, Data Storage, Data Representation, Data Modeling, Mathematics, And Statistics. Includes Instruction In Computer Algorithms, Computer Programming, Data Management, Data Mining, Information Policy, Information Retrieval, Mathematical Modeling, Quantitative Analysis, Statistics, Trend Spotting, And Visual Analytics. Read on to learn the important information every data science, general major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering data science, general programs.
In the U.S., data science, general is a popular field of study, with 7,668 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Data Science, General Schools ranking analyzes these 243 schools to determine the best overall colleges for data science, general students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of data science, general programs later in this article.
Studies in Data Science, General build a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations data science, general graduates commonly enter.
Skills emphasized by a data science, general program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a data science, general major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several data science, 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 | 8 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 52 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 2,479 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 5,091 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 31 |
People currently working in careers related to data science, general tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 59.5% |
| Master’s degree | 20.0% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 4.1% |
| Doctoral degree | 3.8% |
| Some college courses | 3.2% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 3.1% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2.4% |
| Post-doctoral training | 2.3% |
| 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, general careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying data science, general opens doors to a variety of career paths. Here are some of the most common occupations related to data science, general.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to data science, general.
| 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, general graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers data science, general 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 243 different data science, general programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased data science, general school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in data science, general, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Data Science, Other | 48 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
