While money isn’t everything when choosing a career, with the average total cost for a 4-year college degree reaching approximately $122,000, you certainly want to invest in a program that will increase your chances of landing a high-paying job after graduation and foster long-term success.

For many, a degree in information technology is probably your best bet. According to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard, bachelor’s degrees in computer science and engineering lead to the highest salaries. Mathematics and business rank among the top paying fields, too.

Computer and information technology occupations are expected to grow 15 percent between 2021 and 2031 (much faster than the 5% growth rate for all occupations) according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). And many companies are still hiring for entry-level roles in IT and computer tech, despite the pandemic.

Whether you are already working toward a degree or shopping around for colleges, read on to learn more about the top paying degrees you need to land your dream job in IT.

(Note: Unless otherwise stated, all salaries cited in this post were taken from sites that collect data anonymously from employees.)

Here are the top paying bachelor's degrees in information technology:

ITCareerFinder breaks down the top 5 online bachelor’s degrees in information technology.

The digital age is upon us, and with it comes an array of technological advancements, challenges, and possibilities. If you’re passionate about technology, pursuing an IT degree online can be an excellent way to harness this high-tech revolution into a rewarding career.

Online learning has exploded in popularity and capability, with the top programs offering flexibility and affordability without compromising quality. While the self-managed format of online degrees isn’t for everyone, for the right, self-motivated learners it can unlock a world of opportunity. Beyond the obvious benefit of a flexible schedule, students in top-tier online tech degrees can take advantage of interactive course materials, sophisticated simulations to put their computing skills to the test, and global networking abilities that provide access to the leading minds in their field, regardless of location.

But where do you begin? To help answer this question, we’ve highlighted some of the best information technology degrees you can earn online.

Featured IT Degrees Online

Compare career-focused online programs in computing and information technology.

Contact schools to learn about start dates, transferring credits, tuition, aid & more.

Southern New Hampshire University

Top IT Programs:

• AS in Information Technologies
• BS in CS - Software Engineering
• BS in Cybersecurity
• MS in Data Analytics

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Capella University

Top IT Programs:

• BS in IT - Network & Cloud Computing
• BS in IT - Data Analytics and AI
• BS in IT - Software Development
• BS in IT - Cybersecurity

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Before we delve into the ranking, let’s clarify how we chose the best online degrees in IT. We started with 30 of the most popular tech-centric bachelor’s where the subject matter translates well to a distance learning format. From that group, we analyzed the current and future relevance of skills learned, as well as the job outlook and earning potential for the IT careers you pursue upon graduation. Applying this methodology, we identified the top five online bachelor’s degrees in IT.

Without further ado, here are the best online IT degrees:

A deep dive into the computer science associate degree, including costs, benefits, curricula, admission requirements, jobs and salaries.

In an increasingly digital world, the demand for professionals with a solid background in computing and information technology is soaring. An associate degree in computer science can be your launchpad to a rewarding career in this field.

A computer science associate degree is a 2-year undergraduate program that typically includes coursework in programming, algorithms, data structures, computer architecture, and mathematics. CS associate degrees offer a strong foundation for students who wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in computer science or begin an entry-level IT career directly after completing the program.

This article will provide an in-depth look at computer science associate degrees, including marketable classes, costs and benefits, potential career paths and salaries. We’ll also highlight some of today's best online computer science associate degrees.

There's a wide range of scholarships for aspiring tech pros; here are some of the most interesting and valuable.

This page will be updated continually with the latest and greatest scholarships and deadlines.

Information technology is among the most lucrative and opportunity-rich domains in the modern workforce, and a college degree is the best way to get a leg up in this competitive field. However, in today’s economy, paying for school can be challenging. Thankfully, there’s a variety of scholarships that can help you fund a world-class education in CS (computer science), IT (information technology) and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines.

We scour the web, evaluate and reevaluate the most dynamic scholarships with the biggest payouts to find the best awards for students pursuing a career in IT. Most of the scholarships on this list are tech-focused, but we’ll also feature some undeniable awards that can be applied toward any field. Some contests only accept applicants from a certain demographic or socioeconomic group - in these cases we’ll outline those requirements in the scholarship’s description.

Here are our favorite scholarships for computing and information technology majors:

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...

ITCareerFinder breaks down the most sought-after tech jobs you can get with a degree in computer science. Delve into each role for marketable courses, salaries, recommended degree programs and insider tips.

There’s never been a better time than now to pursue a career in IT. The proliferation of emerging technologies in mobile and cloud computing, soaring demand for data science, programming and cyber security skills, and the increased automation (for better or worse) of legacy roles in retail and manufacturing, are just some of the factors driving a golden age for tech employment. There are infinite paths to the IT job of your dreams, but whichever road you choose there’s a good chance that earning a degree in computer science (CS) will be your first step.

CS curricula and the jobs you can land with a computer science degree vary widely, but there are some core subjects shared by most undergraduate computer science programs. The core curriculum in a CS associate or bachelor’s degree typically includes programming and software development, data structures and algorithms, operating systems, and applied mathematics. There are many CS specializations that dive deeper into one or more of these core areas, and plenty of computer science majors designed to prepare you for a specific IT career path. Your personal passions, resources like time and money, and the job you’re shooting for will dictate the computer science program that’s right for you.

The curriculum in a graduate computer science program builds on the undergrad coursework above. Generally, a computer science master’s degree dives deeper into the technical skills you learned as an undergrad, with a greater focus on a specific career track and potential management roles. MBAs in computer science concentrate on the business side of things; here you will learn to use computing skills to set and achieve organizational goals. Doctoral and PhD degrees in computer science tend to focus on research and scientific advancement; these programs are geared toward jobs like computer research scientist and CS professor.

This article will lay out some of the best jobs you can achieve with a computer science diploma (“best” in this case means top-tier salaries, an aggressive hiring forecast, and a high rate of upward mobility). We'll also highlight the courses and electives you should pursue to maximize your job prospects in each role, recommended degree levels, and earnings.

Here are the best jobs you can get with computer science degree:

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.

Machine learning (ML), the subset of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that enables computers to “learn” to perform tasks they haven’t been explicitly programmed to do, took huge leaps in 2016.

Basically, machine learning refers to algorithms that ingest huge amounts of data, extract patterns from that data and turn those patterns into actions. It is now being employed in a vast number of industries to improve efficiency and open up new possibilities. When you see an advertisement on a website that seems aligned to your needs and tastes, it’s machine learning doing its magic. When Amazon makes suggestions about what other products you might be interested in buying, a machine learning algorithm is at work behind the scenes. The same goes for your Facebook newsfeed, and countless more every-day examples. ML is also slated to do much more in the future, such as fighting cybercrime and even running beauty contests.

And naturally, as is the case with every technology that starts to gain traction and become widely adopted, machine learning is creating a ton of IT job opportunities, especially for machine learning engineers. The average salary for AI and machine learning talent is north of $100K, and in some cases on par with NFL quarterbacks.

Here are the skills needed to begin and advance your machine learning career path: