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Computer science teaching assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a computer science teaching assistant. Computer science teaching assistants usually study computer science, computer engineering, or electrical engineering. 76% of computer science teaching assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 586 real computer science teaching assistant resumes to see exactly what computer science teaching assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for computer science teaching assistants are the Brigham Young University and the Brigham Young University.

There are also many online computer science teaching assistant courses to help get the education required to be a computer science teaching assistant.

What education do you need to become a computer science teaching assistant?

What degree do you need to be a computer science teaching assistant?

The most common degree for computer science teaching assistants is bachelor's degree, with 76% of computer science teaching assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 76%
  • Master's, 14%
  • Associate, 4%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a computer science teaching assistant?

You should major in computer science to become a computer science teaching assistant. 58% of computer science teaching assistants major in computer science. Other common majors for a computer science teaching assistant include computer engineering and electrical engineering.

Most common colleges for computer science teaching assistants

Computer science teaching assistants often get their degrees at Brigham Young University, University of California, Santa Barbara, and Berea College. Here are the most common colleges for computer science teaching assistants in the US based on their resumes.
Computer science teaching assistant common collegePercentages
Brigham Young University11.84%
University of California, Santa Barbara7.89%
Berea College6.58%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro6.58%
University of Iowa5.26%

Best majors for computer science teaching assistants

Best colleges for computer science teaching assistants

The best colleges for computer science teaching assistants are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A computer science teaching assistant 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 science teaching assistants. 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 science teaching assistants.

1. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

20 best online courses for computer science teaching assistants

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1. Computer Science: Programming with a Purpose

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The basis for education in the last millennium was “reading, writing, and arithmetic;” now it is reading, writing, and computing. Learning to program is an essential part of the education of every student, not just in the sciences and engineering, but in the arts, social sciences, and humanities, as well. Beyond direct applications, it is the first step in understanding the nature of computer science’s undeniable impact on the modern world. This course covers the first half of our book Computer...

2. Mathematics for Computer Science

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“Welcome to Introduction to Numerical Mathematics. This is designed to give you part of the mathematical foundations needed to work in computer science in any of its strands, from business to visual digital arts, music, games. At any stage of the problem solving and modelling stage you will require numerical and computational tools. We get you started in binary and other number bases, some tools to make sense of sequences of numbers, how to represent space numerical using coordinates, how to...

3. CS101 Bootcamp: Introduction to Computer Science & Software

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4.2
(1,036)

A Computer Science & software programming / coding bootcamp for absolute beginners. No coding background necessary...

4. Computer Science 101 - Computers & Programming for Beginners

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4.4
(1,518)

Understand the basic concepts behind Computers, Computer Science, Programming and Programming Languages...

5. Foundations of Computer Science

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Welcome to Introduction to Programming: Visual Basic. In the course sequence you will learn to write programs that utilize both procedural and object oriented techniques to solve business problems. In the first course in the sequence we will provide you with a solid foundation in the computer science topics that are important to understand when programming Visual Basic. In courses two through four, we will role up our sleeves and start coding in Visual Basic. In these courses you need to have...

6. Accelerated Computer Science Fundamentals

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Topics covered by this Specialization include basic object-oriented programming, the analysis of asymptotic algorithmic run times, and the implementation of basic data structures including arrays, hash tables, linked lists, trees, heaps and graphs, as well as algorithms for traversals, rebalancing and shortest paths.\n\nThis Specialization sequence is designed to help prospective applicants to the flexible and affordable Online Master of Computer Science (MCS) and MCS in Data Science prepare...

7. Introduction to Computer Science

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4.2
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Computer Science made fun and easy...

8. Computer Science 101: Master the Theory Behind Programming

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4.6
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Computer Science 101: Learn Computer Science to become a better Programmer and Software Engineer...

9. Introduction to Computer Science and Programming

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This specialisation covers topics ranging from basic computing principles to the mathematical foundations required for computer science. You will learn fundamental concepts of how computers work, which can be applied to any software or computer system. You will also gain the practical skillset needed to write interactive, graphical programs at an introductory level. The numerical mathematics component will provide you with numerical and computational tools that are essential for the problem...

10. Computational Social Science Methods

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This course gives you an overview of the current opportunities and the omnipresent reach of computational social science. The results are all around us, every day, reaching from the services provided by the world’s most valuable companies, over the hidden influence of governmental agencies, to the power of social and political movements. All of them study human behavior in order to shape it. In short, all of them do social science by computational means. In this course we answer three...

11. The Data Science Course: Complete Data Science Bootcamp 2023

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Complete Data Science Training: Mathematics, Statistics, Python, Advanced Statistics in Python, Machine & Deep Learning...

12. Data Science with Python Complete Course

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4.5
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Data Science 2021 : Complete Data Science...

13. An Introduction to Logic for Computer Science

coursera

Logic plays a fundamental role in computer science. This course is designed to equip you with a solid understanding of the fundamental principles of logic and their relevance in the field of computer science. In this course, you'll explore proposition logic and discover its practical applications in problem-solving, algorithm design, and the development of intelligent systems. By engaging in hands-on exercises, exploring real-world examples, and participating in discussions, you'll develop...

14. Computational Social Science Capstone Project

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CONGRATULATIONS! Not only did you accomplish to finish our intellectual tour de force, but, by now, you also already have all required skills to execute a comprehensive multi-method workflow of computational social science. We will put these skills to work in this final integrative lab, where we are bringing it all together. We scrape data from a social media site (drawing on the skills obtained in the 1st course of this specialization). We then analyze the collected data by visualizing the...

15. Computer Architecture and Computer Organization Masterclass

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Full Program: Computer Organization, Computer Architecture, Instruction Set, CPU, Memory Hierarchy (FREE Lecture Notes)...

16. JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures Masterclass

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The Missing Computer Science and Coding Interview Bootcamp...

17. Introduction to Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science

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Discrete Mathematics is the language of Computer Science. One needs to be fluent in it to work in many fields including data science, machine learning, and software engineering (it is not a coincidence that math puzzles are often used for interviews). We introduce you to this language through a fun try-this-before-we-explain-everything approach: first you solve many interactive puzzles that are carefully designed specifically for this online specialization, and then we explain how to solve the...

18. Computational Social Science

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For more information please view the Computational Social Science Trailer\n\nDigital technology has not only revolutionized society, but also the way we can study it. Currently, this is taken advantage of by the most valuable companies in Silicon Valley, the most powerful governmental agencies, and the most influential social movements. What they have in common is that they use computational tools to understand, and ultimately influence human behavior and social dynamics.\n\nAn increasing part...

19. Computer Programming for Beginners

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4.3
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Learn the basic concepts of programming using Python and Java Script...

20. Data Structures & Algorithms Essentials using C++ (2023)

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Master core computer science concepts by mastering data structures, algorithms & problem solving using C++...

Top 10 most affordable universities for computer science teaching assistants

The most affordable schools for computer science teaching assistants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and university of south florida.

If the best universities for computer science teaching assistants 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 science teaching assistants.

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. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for computer science teaching assistants

The hardest universities for computer science teaching assistants to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for computer science teaching assistants 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 science teaching assistants 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for computer science teaching assistants

The easiest schools for computer science teaching assistants to get into are Barry University, capitol technology university, and the university of texas at el paso.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a computer science teaching assistant 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 science teaching assistants.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

3. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

4. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

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. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

Average computer science teaching assistant salary by education level

According to our data, computer science teaching assistants with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $96,214 annually. Computer science teaching assistants with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $82,984.
Computer science teaching assistant education levelComputer science teaching assistant salary
Master's Degree$82,984
Doctorate Degree$96,214

Computer science teaching assistant 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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