Compiler education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a compiler. Compilers usually study computer science, business, or computer engineering. 54% of compilers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 154 real compiler resumes to see exactly what compiler education sections show.

The most common colleges for compilers are the University of Houston and the University of Houston.

There are also many online compiler courses to help get the education required to be a compiler.

What education do you need to become a compiler?

What degree do you need to be a compiler?

The most common degree for compilers is bachelor's degree, with 54% of compilers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 15%.

Bachelor's, 54%

Master's, 19%

Associate, 15%

Doctorate, 5%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a compiler?

You should major in computer science to become a compiler. 22% of compilers major in computer science. Other common majors for a compiler include business and computer engineering.

Computer Science, 22%

Business, 13%

Computer Engineering, 10%

Electrical Engineering, 6%

Other Majors, 49%

Most common colleges for compilers

Compilers often get their degrees at University of Houston, Ohio State University, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Here are the most common colleges for compilers in the US based on their resumes.

Compiler common college	Percentages
University of Houston	7.14%
Ohio State University	7.14%
University of California, Santa Barbara	7.14%
San Jose State University	7.14%
University of Washington	7.14%

Show more common compiler colleges

Best majors for compilers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Computer Science	22.1%
2	Business	13.2%
3	Computer Engineering	10.3%
4	Electrical Engineering	5.9%
5	Physics	5.9%

Show more common compiler majors

Best colleges for compilers

The best colleges for compilers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Washington University in St Louis.

A compiler with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for compilers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become compilers.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

4. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

8. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

10. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

20 best online courses for compilers

Advertising disclosure

1. Medical Coding: ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Training

4.5

(645)

Learn medical coding and prepare yourself for today's healthcare workplace...

2. Linux System Programming Techniques & Concepts

4.5

(884)

For Developers - Build Linux Programmable Libraries, Makefiles, Memory Management, Compilation & Linking, C Programming...

3. Data Structures and Algorithms in C++ For Coding Interview

4.7

(729)

Covers Algorithmic Problems in C++ That range a variety of data structures which often pop up during a coding interview...

4. ICD 10 & 11 Medical Coding and Billing

4.4

(767)

Preparation for Medical Coding Certification Exam...

5. AMCI Introduction to Medical Coding (I2MC) Course

4.6

(444)

Introduction to Medical Coding (I2MC) Course...

6. Income Tax - Schedule C Small Business Sole Proprietor

4.8

(298)

Small business, schedule C income tax preparation using actual tax forms for examples including form 1040, Schedule SE...

7. A Specialty Approach to Learning Medical Billing and Coding

4.6

(352)

Volume One: Medical Hematology...

8. Medical coding for U.S. healthcare industry

4.5

(266)

Jump start your career in the fastest growing career choice in the healthcare industry...

9. C++ Code Like you are in MATRIX: Mastering C++ in 12 Hours

4.3

(373)

Unleash the Power of C++ and Take Your Programming Skills to the Next Level! C++ and Data structures , CPP Unreal Engine...

10. Linux System Programming using C and C++(Practical Approach)

4.2

(501)

Practical approach to Linux c-system programming for fork, thread, semaphore IPC, etc...

11. QR Code Generator Using JavaScript

4.2

(842)

Learn How To Generate QR Code Using Java Script & How To Create QR Code Generator Website...

12. Master C++ Programming From Beginner To Advance 2023 Edition

4.4

(1,994)

Latest Hand-on Beginner Friendly Course include C++ Qt GUI Project, Supports C++ 11 C++ 14 , **270+ videos, **5 Projects...

13. Full Stack Web Development with C# OOP, MS SQL & ASP.NET MVC

4.4

(918)

Web development with C#, ASP.NET MVC, MS SQL, C# OOP. All gathered for full stack web development in one course!...

14. Customer Relationship Management A Retail Perspective

4.5

(425)

The success of your business through managing relationships with customers effectively...

15. C# Developers: Double Your Coding Speed with Visual Studio

4.4

(3,582)

Fast Coding Techniques that Every C# Developer Must Know...

16. High Performance Coding with.NET Core and C#

4.5

(1,366)

Learn how to write high performance and scalable .NET Core and ASP.NET Core applications in C#...

17. Data Structures & Algorithms, Level-up for Coding Interviews

4.5

(3,076)

Master problem solving for Coding Interviews, ace Data Structures & Algorithms by solving over 150 important questions!...

18. CRM: Customer Relationship Management

4.4

(1,546)

Practical Ideas To Generate Sales, Loyalty And Repeat Business Fast...

19. Spice Up Your C# Code With Advanced Language Features

4.6

(531)

A comprehensive guide on how to spice up your C# code with many advanced language features...

20. Rust & WebAssembly with JS (TS) - The Practical Guide

4.3

(376)

Learn to code in Rust. Compile the code to Web Assembly. Prepare JS/TS frontend and create browser-based Snake game...

Top 10 most affordable universities for compilers

The most affordable schools for compilers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for compilers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for compilers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

10. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for compilers

The hardest universities for compilers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Washington University in St Louis.

Some great schools for compilers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for compilers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

10. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for compilers

The easiest schools for compilers to get into are San Francisco State University, linfield college, and saint cloud state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a compiler without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for compilers.

1. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

2. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

3. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

4. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Winona, MN • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,148

5. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

6. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

7. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

8. Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,072

9. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,070

10. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento, CA • Private

Admissions rate

64%

SAT average

1,030

Average compiler salary by education level

Compiler education level	Compiler salary
Bachelor's Degree	$56,892

Compiler education FAQs

What is the best college for Compilers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

Search for compiler jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse architecture and engineering jobs