It’s Official: Computer Science is #1… and #2!

Computer science is a fast-growing discipline with huge potential for impact, and this is clearly reflected at the University of Michigan in terms of two measurements: the number of declared majors in the undergraduate program, and the employment survey data available from student co-ops, interns, and full-time hires.

Let’s Start with #2

According to Winter 2016 reports published by the Office of the Registrar, the Computer Science undergraduate major has grown to become the second largest at Michigan; Business Administration is the largest. Here are selected undergraduate program enrollment numbers for comparison:

• Business Administration: 1444 (#1 undergraduate program in terms of declared majors)
• Computer Science (College of Engineering): 940
• Mechanical Engineering: 805 (#2 in terms of declared majors at College of Engineering)
• Economics: 724
• Psychology: 642
• Nursing: 613
• BioPsychology: 602
• Political Science: 541
• Computer Science (College of LSA): 295

Note that the Computer Science programs offered through CoE and LSA are in almost all respects the same except for college requirements, and both programs are administered and taught by CSE. So the total number of declared CS undergraduates is 1235.

CS is #1 at CoE

CS is the largest undergraduate program at the College of Engineering, with 940 declared undergraduate majors as of Winter 2016. According to documentation from the Engineering Career Resource Center (ECRC), it’s also the discipline that is amongst the most sought by employers at ECRC job fairs, and CS students almost always earn the highest median salary in each category of employment. Students from the department’s CS-LSA undergraduate program are included in the ECRC’s computer science statistics.

The just-issued ECRC Annual Report (PDF) for the hiring year ending April 2015 includes reported placement and salary survey data for College of Engineering Co-op students, Interns, Bachelor’s students, and Master’s students. It reflects the continuation of these now well established trends. Here are a few takeaways from this year’s report:

Highly sought: Undergraduate computer science majors were requested by most organizations recruiting through the ECRC, with 64% of employers seeking computer science students. 65% of employers sought computer engineering majors, and 62% sought electrical engineering majors. These were the three highest-sought majors in the report.

Co-ops: CS students were most hired and received the second highest median monthly salary ($5921).

Bachelor’s Internships: CS students were most hired and received the highest median monthly salary ($5200).

Master’s internships: CSE students received the highest median monthly salary ($6717).

Bachelor’s full-time hires: CS students were most hired and received the highest median annual starting salary ($95,000).

Master’s full-time hires: CSE students received the highest median annual starting salary ($105,000).

The high demand and pay for CS students and graduates continues a trend that can be seen since the hiring year ending in August 2010, the first year such statistics were published by the ECRC. Past ECRC Annual Reports can be seen here.