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Computer programming professor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a computer programming professor. Computer programming professors usually study computer science, business, or education. 55% of computer programming professors hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 192 real computer programming professor resumes to see exactly what computer programming professor education sections show.

The most common colleges for computer programming professors are the University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus and the University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus.

There are also many online computer programming professor courses to help get the education required to be a computer programming professor.

What education do you need to become a computer programming professor?

What degree do you need to be a computer programming professor?

The most common degree for computer programming professors is bachelor's degree, with 55% of computer programming professors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 27% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 55%
  • Master's, 27%
  • Doctorate, 8%
  • Associate, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a computer programming professor?

You should major in computer science to become a computer programming professor. 19% of computer programming professors major in computer science. Other common majors for a computer programming professor include business and education.

Most common colleges for computer programming professors

Computer programming professors often get their degrees at University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus, New York University, and American University. Here are the most common colleges for computer programming professors in the US based on their resumes.
Computer programming professor common collegePercentages
University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus13.89%
New York University8.33%
American University8.33%
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico8.33%
Inter American University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla5.56%

Best majors for computer programming professors

RankMajorPercentages
1Computer Science18.8%
2Business17.8%
3Education13.9%
4Fine Arts5.0%
5Information Technology5.0%

Best colleges for computer programming professors

The best colleges for computer programming professors are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.

A computer programming professor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for computer programming professors. 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 computer programming professors.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

3. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

9. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for computer programming professors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for computer programming professors

The most affordable schools for computer programming professors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and california state university - los angeles.

If the best universities for computer programming professors 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 computer programming professors.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

3. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

10. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for computer programming professors

The hardest universities for computer programming professors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for computer programming professors 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 computer programming professors 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for computer programming professors

The easiest schools for computer programming professors to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and capitol technology university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a computer programming professor 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 computer programming professors.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

8. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

9. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

10. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

Average computer programming professor salary by education level

According to our data, computer programming professors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $107,888 annually. Computer programming professors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $83,969.
Computer programming professor education levelComputer programming professor salary
Master's Degree$83,969
Doctorate Degree$107,888

Computer programming professor education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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