Junior programmer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a junior programmer. Junior programmers usually study computer science, business, or computer engineering. 68% of junior programmers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,322 real junior programmer resumes to see exactly what junior programmer education sections show.

The most common colleges for junior programmers are the DeVry University and the DeVry University.

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

There are certain junior programmer certifications that you should consider. These junior programmer certifications include Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP) and Software Engineering Master Certification (SEMC).

What education do you need to become a junior programmer?

What degree do you need to be a junior programmer?

The most common degree for junior programmers is bachelor's degree, with 68% of junior programmers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 68%

Associate, 15%

Master's, 10%

Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a junior programmer?

You should major in computer science to become a junior programmer. 38% of junior programmers major in computer science. Other common majors for a junior programmer include business and computer engineering.

Computer Science, 38%

Business, 8%

Computer Engineering, 7%

Computer Information Systems, 6%

Other Majors, 41%

Most common colleges for junior programmers

Junior programmers often get their degrees at DeVry University, University of Massachusetts Boston, and George Mason University. Here are the most common colleges for junior programmers in the US based on their resumes.

Junior programmer common college	Percentages
DeVry University	9.89%
University of Massachusetts Boston	6.59%
George Mason University	6.59%
La Salle University	5.49%
Virginia Commonwealth University	5.49%

Show more common junior programmer colleges

Best majors for junior programmers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Computer Science	38.3%
2	Business	7.7%
3	Computer Engineering	7.1%
4	Computer Information Systems	6.5%
5	Information Technology	5.5%

Show more common junior programmer majors

Best colleges for junior programmers

The best colleges for junior programmers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

A junior programmer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for junior programmers. 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 junior programmers.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

8. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

9. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

In-state tuition

$55,453

Enrollment

4,312

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

20 best online courses for junior programmers

Advertising disclosure

1. 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!...

2. PL/SQL by Example - Beginner to Advanced PL/SQL

4.5

(13,982)

Using PL/SQL learn how to combine the efficiency of SQL & Procedural Language(PL) to build a powerful PL/SQL Application...

3. Mastering PL/SQL

4.2

(269)

Simplified way to learn PL/SQL...

4. A 18 Hour SQL/SQL Server 2014/Visual Studio 2017 Course

4.7

(1,458)

Learn SQL, SQL Server, SSMS, ASP.NET, Visual Studio, C#, HTML and More!...

5. Single-Page Application with ASP.NET & jQuery Hands-On

4.4

(719)

Learn how to build a single-page application from start to finish with ASP.NET Web API 2, Entity Framework and j Query...

6. Project Based SQL Course: Code like a SQL Programmer

4.1

(579)

Attempt Projects and Tests on a mock database that is designed to simulate the day-to-day work of a SQL programmer...

7. The Complete PL/SQL Bootcamp: Beginner to Advanced PL/SQL

4.5

(13,873)

A Comprehensive Guide to Make You a Job-Ready PL/SQL Developer.Also Covers Oracle 1Z0-144 and 1Z0-149 PL SQL Exam Topics...

8. Oracle PL/SQL Fundamentals & Database Design-3course bundle

4.6

(403)

The ultimate Oracle/database course bundle with over 20 hours and 100 videos!...

9. Learn ASP NET with Bootstrap,Entity Framework,JavaScript,C#

4.6

(408)

Learn to Build Production based Web Applications with Microsoft's ASP.NET, C#, Entity Framework, Java Script & Bootstrap...

10. C# Console and Windows Forms Development w/ Entity Framework

4.5

(987)

C# .NET Core Console Programming Windows Forms Data-driven development OOP Git Hub SQL Entity Framework...

11. The Complete ASP.Net Web Forms with ADO.Net From Scratch

4.5

(519)

Rapid Web Application Development Using Asp.Net...

12. Oracle 11g PL/SQL Fundamentals I

(796)

An introduction to the PL/SQL database programming language...

13. From A Non Programmer To Full Stack.NET Developer

(502)

Full Stack Web Development Tutorial For Beginners: Your First .NET Application using an enterprise approach + FREE e Book...

14. Oracle PL/SQL Fundamentals vol. I & II

4.6

(5,398)

A complete introduction to PL/SQL database programming language...

15. Oracle 11g PL/SQL Fundamentals II

4.6

(344)

An introduction to the PL/SQL database programming language...

16. Web Development HTML CSS JavaScript jQuery NodeJS

4.4

(1,601)

Full Stack Web Development Bootcamp HTML Project HTML 5 CSS 3 Java Script Bootstrap ES6 j Query Node JS...

17. Building an Enterprise Application with ASP.NET Core MVC

4.1

(436)

Full-Stack MVC Web Application with ASP.NET Core 3.0, ASP.NET Core 2.2 & Entity Framework Core...

18. C#.NET Core 7 with MS SQL Complete Beginner to Master 2023

4.6

(1,026)

Learn API Development with C# .NET Core 7 and MS SQL Server from Mac, Linux or Windows!...

19. Building Applications with Angular 11 and ASP.NET Core 5

4.2

(321)

Use Angular, ASP.NET Core, Entity Framework Core, Material Design, JWT, Leaflet, for developing a complete application...

20. Learn Oracle PL/SQL - A Comprehensive Training Course

4.5

(397)

A Comprehensive Oracle PL/SQL Course Taught By Infinite Skills...

Top 10 most affordable universities for junior programmers

The most affordable schools for junior programmers are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for junior programmers 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 junior programmers.

1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

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. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

6. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

7. Brigham Young University - Hawaii

Laie, HI • Private

In-state tuition

$5,560

Cost of attendance

18,043

8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo

Arecibo, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,872

Cost of attendance

13,476

9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce

Mercedita, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,914

Cost of attendance

13,564

10. Trident University International

Cypress, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,240

Cost of attendance

17,912

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for junior programmers

The hardest universities for junior programmers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for junior programmers 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 junior programmers 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Amherst College

Amherst, MA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,449

5. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

6. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

7. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for junior programmers

The easiest schools for junior programmers to get into are Nyack College, saint martin's university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a junior programmer 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 junior programmers.

1. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

2. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

8. Saint Xavier University

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

74%

SAT average

1,061

9. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Winona, MN • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,148

10. Longwood University

Farmville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,065

Average junior programmer salary by education level

According to our data, junior programmers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $67,479 annually. Junior programmers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $65,906.

Junior programmer education level	Junior programmer salary
Master's Degree	$65,906
Bachelor's Degree	$63,407
Doctorate Degree	$67,479
Some College/ Associate Degree	$56,294

Junior programmer education FAQs

What is the best college for Junior Programmers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.

Search for junior programmer 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 computer and mathematical jobs