Computer Science Majors: Peeking Behind the Curtain

Story by Rebekah Hughes Unger
January 9, 2024

If you are considering majoring in computer science, you most likely have an enthusiasm for all things technology and are a natural born problem solver! Whether you have settled on this major or are still exploring your options, there are many things to consider when seeking a computer science degree:  

Class Size and Caps on Major:

Due to high demand, some computer science classes are delivered in large lecture halls or even offered only online. When touring colleges, if small class size is important to you then ask questions about the average class size of computer science classes specifically. In addition, it is sometimes extremely difficult during registration to get a spot in certain computer science classes.

Many colleges require you to apply directly into the computer science major as a senior in high school. However, some colleges allow you to wait a year or two to declare a major, which can put a strain on a college’s resources when too many students choose this major. Due to this increased demand, some colleges put caps on the number of students who can major in computer science and may even require an application process. In 2014, UVA placed a cap on students accepted into the major but then removed the cap in 2017 so that now any student who meets the pre-requisites are accepted into the major. The demand for computer science grew so much at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (UNC) that they recently decided to limit the number of computer science majors by switching to an application-based system. See the link below for more details on UNC’s computer science major and do your due diligence on each school.

https://cs.unc.edu/undergraduate/cs-admissions/

BA vs BS:

Some schools offer two pathways to a computer science degree. For example, The University of Virginia (UVA) and Rice University offer both a BA and a BS in computer science. Check to see if any of the schools on your list allow for this choice and delve into which choice is right for you. First, find out in which department the degree is located. For example, at most colleges, the computer science department is housed in the engineering department. This is true for both the BA and the BS degree at Rice. However, at UVA the BA degree is in the School of Arts and Sciences, but the BS is housed in the School of Engineering. A BA degree at UVA allows a student to study computer science in the context of a liberal arts education and requires students to also complete the general education requirements. Second, compare the curriculum requirements for the BS versus the BA degree at each school keeping in mind that changes could occur even after you arrive. For example, Rice announced a new curriculum for the BA and BS in computer science that will begin in the 2024 school year. Most notably, under the old curriculum, only the BS degree required physics classes, but, under the new curriculum, neither the BA nor the BS require any physics classes at Rice.

Regarding job opportunities, according to Rice’s website there “is no discernable difference in the type or quality of jobs that students with a BA or BS degree obtain after graduation.” According to a UVA Computer Science- Bachelor of Arts Information Session webinar in the spring of 2023, those graduating with a BS degree had a higher salary immediately after graduation than those graduating with a BA. ($100,000 median for a BS versus $87,500 for a BA) However, the speaker said this could be attributed to the timing of the declaration of the major. Students in the School of Arts and Sciences have two years to declare a major at UVA whereas students in the School of Engineering declare their major at the end of their first year. So, one theory on the salary difference is that since BS students declare their major earlier, they often start gaining work experience earlier, which leads to a higher salary upon graduation. At schools where the BA and BS are housed in the same department, this might not have the same effect.

Examples of other schools that offer a BA in computer science include Boston University, University of Vermont, University of Cambridge, and Dartmouth (technically called AB at Dartmouth). 

Acceptance rates:

It is often significantly more difficult to be accepted to college when applying as a computer science major. The key will be to apply to a healthy range of schools and to apply as early as possible, especially to colleges with rolling admissions. Many colleges publish their overall acceptances rates, but very few show admit rates by major. Those that do publish admit rates prove that there is quite a big difference between the overall acceptance rates at some schools and acceptance rates specifically for computer science. Washington University, the University of Illinois- Urbana Champaign and schools within the University of California system are some of the few colleges that publish their computer science admissions rates. See below for more details:

University of Washington (Seattle campus)
Overall admissions rate (22-23 CDS): 47%

Computer Science Admission Rates:
Non-Washington resident: 2%
Washington resident: 25%
https://admit.washington.edu/apply/freshman/by-the-numbers/

University of Illinois- Urbana Champaign
Overall admissions rate (22-23 CDS): 45%

Computer Science Admissions Rates:
Not broken down by resident/non-resident and including other technology fields reported
Computer Science: 6.7%
Information Science: 68.1%
Computer Engineering: 23%
Information Systems: 27%
(Note the difference between acceptance rate for computer science versus information science!)
https://admit.washington.edu/apply/freshman/by-the-numbers/

UCLA:

The overall admit rate at UCLA for the fall of 2022 was 9%. In that year, 11,974 students applied as computer science majors and 460 were accepted for an overall acceptance rate of 3.8%. You can refer to the UCEE report from UCLA’s engineering school for statistics on additional majors.

Male/Female ratios:
There is also quite a difference between the number of male versus female applicants at popular computer science/engineering schools. Females will often have the edge if an applicant pool is dominated by males. Sometimes the student body will be similarly skewed, which is something you should take into consideration when determining if a school would be a good fit socially.

Maker Spaces:
If you love to tinker with technology and use your hands, then a college with a top notch maker space might appeal to you. Check out the lists below for some examples. If a college has a “why us” essay then their maker space might deserve a mention if you can make specific mention of how you would utilize it or tie it to your past projects.

https://www.newsweek.com/best-maker-school-list-2021

https://www.greatvaluecolleges.net/best-maker-spaces/

Many schools are spending significant amounts of money to build or upgrade these types of spaces. Here is an article about Colorado School of Mines:
https://www.saundersinc.com/about/news/construction-begins-on-the-colorado-school-of-mines-labriola-innovation-center/

Co-ops:

Colleges with strong co-op programs are very popular and for good reasons! During a co-op program, you will gain experience at a company while getting paid and earning college credit. At some colleges it is mandatory while at others it is highly recommended. Sometimes participating in a co-op means that a it will take longer than four years to graduate.

Drexel is an example of a college with a strong co-op program: https://drexel.edu/cci/student-experience/coop-experience/

Internships and Career Service Centers:

Browse the website of colleges on your list. Do they have a list of companies that regularly recruit on campus? Do only local companies recruit and, if so, would you be happy staying nearby after college?

Here is an example from College of Charleston: https://compsci.cofc.edu/current-student/internships.php

How to be a strong applicant:
It is not a surprise that the strongest applicants are those with top grades in the most advanced math tracks at their high schools. Top candidates will often take AP BC Calculus and AP Physics (or the equivalent courses) at their schools. Some will even venture beyond what is offered at their high schools by taking college classes in linear algebra or differential equations. Most will take AP Computer Science A and AP Computer Science Principles if offered at their schools. If submitting standardized test scores, you will be competing with test takers that are at the top of the college’s range.

You may wonder, besides high standardized test scores and top grades in math and science courses, what does it take to set your application apart from other high achievers in the applicant pool? Should you become the robotics team captain? Should you join the math club and tutor underclassmen? Well, the answer is “yes and no.” Yes, do those things if you have an authentic passion for these activities that will cause teachers and other students to take notice. Passion is what comes through in your interviews and by way of a strong recommendation letter. No, do not do anything just to check a box for college applications.

Think outside the box and you will most likely find something to support your interest in computer science that you can be truly passionate about. What will set you apart from the thousands of other robotics club/math tutoring candidates will often be something totally unrelated and unexpected. If there are over 20,000 high schools in America then think of how many robotics club presidents are applying to the top colleges, which does not include international students. Consider doing a special project that showcases your love of computer science and shows that you are an independent and creative thinker. You could develop an app or a game to benefit others. You could enter coding contests both locally and nationally. Winning a high rank at a competition such as the USA Computing Olympiad would place you in an elite category. You could reach out to college professors and ask for special projects or research. Be authentic and different and follow your passions.

Categories: Computer Science