Updated by Daniel Greenspan

The average cost of college is now $38,270 per year, or about $153,000 over the 4-year degree. While money isn’t everything when choosing a career, you certainly want to invest in a program that increases your chances of landing a high-paying job after graduation and achieving long-term success.

For many students, a degree in information technology or computing is a solid bet. Our analysis of U.S. Census data found that bachelor’s degree holders in computer engineering and computer science earn some of the highest salaries among technology majors, followed by information science, computer information systems, and networking.

Computer and information technology careers pay a significant premium over most jobs. The median annual wage for computer and IT occupations reached $109,470 in 2025, compared with $50,980 for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Read on for the top-paying bachelor’s degrees that can help you land your dream job in IT.

Education vs. Experience: Many people find that their career reaches a plateau and that employers place greater value on workers with a higher level of education or a degree more relevant to the modern workplace. Anyone that has ever been passed over for promotion only to find a college graduate in the post will know how frustrating this can be. An online degree offers the perfect solution.

Do you like money? Do you thrive on intellectual challenge? Are you fascinated by technology? A computer science degree can lead you to a fulfilling IT career on all three counts. Read on for the top benefits of earning a computer science degree...

Compare the top-ranked historically black colleges and universities for computer science.

Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) provide high-quality, affordable education to African American students. Within the fast-growing and lucrative field of computer science, certain HBCUs stand out not just for their academic excellence but through impactful partnerships, groundbreaking research opportunities, and a steadfast commitment to diversity and inclusion. This article will highlight the HBCUs with the best computer science programs.

We selected the best historically black colleges and universities for computer science based on numerous factors, including the relevance of the curriculum to the needs of the CS workforce, industry partnerships, school reputation, faculty expertise, program features, institutional statistics, affordability, and overall value.

The Internet boasts a wealth of free computer training for those who know where to look. Here are some of the best free online courses available right now.

This article will be updated continually with the latest and greatest schools and courses.

Rankings are unbiased; ITCareerFinder receives no compensation to be featured in the best free online courses.

Nonprofit organizations, technology companies, and educational institutions provide free computer courses across all IT subjects and skill levels. Some do this to expose more people to their software or hardware, while others strive to make top-notch education more accessible. Regardless of the training provider’s mission, self-motivated learners can capitalize on this massive cache of free online computer training to grow their skill set, earn certifications to validate their expertise to prospective employers, and gain exposure to new IT careers.

To compile our list of the best free computer courses, we looked at numerous factors, including relevance of curriculum, ease of accessibility, course quality, and provider reputation. We also endeavored to represent the top training options across multiple categories and skill levels.

In no particular order, here are our favorite online training providers and their best free computing courses:

A deep dive comparison of college degrees in information technology and computer science, including educational focus, core skills, career opportunities and earning potential.

In today's technology-driven world, pursuing a career in the lucrative and fast-growing tech space is a popular choice. However, when it comes to deciding between an Information Technology (IT) Degree and a Computer Science (CS) Degree, aspiring tech professionals can find themselves unsure of which path to take. Both disciplines offer numerous benefits and career opportunities, but they also have their own unique traits and considerations. In this article, we’ll highlight the key similarities and differences between IT and CS degrees, helping you make an informed decision about your learning plan and professional future.

Let’s begin with a simple side-by-side comparison of CS and IT degrees. We’ll dig deeper into the specifics later on.

For concert pianists and network administrators alike, practice makes perfect. Certified Cisco Instructor, Mark Sabo, explores the best ways to hone your routing & switching skills.

One of the most common questions my students ask is, “What can I do to get more practice configuring routers and switches?” The best thing you can do is to go out and get some real equipment and build your own lab environment. Nothing beats having real equipment to touch, smell and practice with. You can find cheap routers and switches on the internet; eBay is the most popular place where people go to unload their old equipment for dirt cheap instead of trashing it. You don’t need new, expensive equipment for a home practice lab, and this presents the best opportunity. For those of us who don’t want to spend money on a practice lab, or want the flexibility of playing with routers wherever we are, there's GNS3.

Explore the benefits of pursuing an IT degree with certifications and determine which tech credentials align with your education and career goals.

The debate over formal education versus IT certifications has been raging for decades. One compelling solution to this conundrum is earning an IT degree that includes industry-recognized certifications. This rapidly popularizing approach offers the best of both worlds, blending the deep theoretical knowledge of a college education with the contemporary real-world skills of IT certification.

In this post, I will outline the benefits of pursuing an information technology degree with certifications and highlight which IT credentials you should look for in an accredited degree program.