Mainframe programmer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a mainframe programmer. Mainframe programmers usually study computer science, business, or computer information systems. 67% of mainframe programmers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 476 real mainframe programmer resumes to see exactly what mainframe programmer education sections show.

The most common colleges for mainframe programmers are the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

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

What education do you need to become a mainframe programmer?

What degree do you need to be a mainframe programmer?

The most common degree for mainframe programmers is bachelor's degree, with 67% of mainframe programmers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 67%

Master's, 14%

Associate, 12%

Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a mainframe programmer?

You should major in computer science to become a mainframe programmer. 27% of mainframe programmers major in computer science. Other common majors for a mainframe programmer include business and computer information systems.

Computer Science, 27%

Business, 9%

Computer Information Systems, 9%

Electrical Engineering, 8%

Other Majors, 47%

Most common colleges for mainframe programmers

Mainframe programmers often get their degrees at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, University of North Texas, and Indiana State University. Here are the most common colleges for mainframe programmers in the US based on their resumes.

Mainframe programmer common college	Percentages
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey	9.38%
University of North Texas	6.25%
Indiana State University	6.25%
University of Kansas	6.25%
The University of Alabama	6.25%

Show more common mainframe programmer colleges

Best majors for mainframe programmers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Computer Science	27.4%
2	Business	8.8%
3	Computer Information Systems	8.8%
4	Electrical Engineering	8.0%
5	Computer Applications	7.1%

Show more common mainframe programmer majors

Best colleges for mainframe programmers

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

A mainframe 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 mainframe 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 mainframe 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 mainframe programmers

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6. Mainframe: The Complete COBOL Course From Beginner To Expert

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DB2- Pre-compilation - Cursor - Restart logic - sqlcode - Load & Unload...

8. Mainframe: The Complete JCL Course from Beginner to Expert

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Comprehensive IBM Mainframe CICS Course: Bridging Theory and Real-World Practice in an Understandable Manner...

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Best TSO/ISPF Course. TSO and ISPF commands are explained in detail. Simplified COBOL covered as bonus along with JCL...

11. The Complete Job Control Language (JCL) Course.

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Mainframe JCL Procedures, SORT, GDGs, Libraries, Utilities such as IEBCOPY, IEBGENER etc are explained in detail...

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

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

13. Complete SAP OS/DB Migration

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Master SAP OS/DB Migration...

14. DB2 For Beginners

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Execute SQL Queries on an IBM DB2 Database Server...

15. SQL Made Simple: SQL Server Queries for Non-Programmers

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Now is your time to learn SQL - the language top applications run on. SQL for Beginners. Made Simple and Stress-Free ✔...

16. Learn Figma: User Interface Design Essentials - UI/UX Design

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17. Microsoft Access SQL: SQL for Non-Programmers

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18. The Complete User Interface Design Bootcamp - Sketch UI/UX

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Master Sketch software to get a job in UI Design, User Interface, User Experience design, Web Design & UX design...

19. User Experience Design & User Interface Design Fundamentals

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Learn the basics of successful User Experience Design and User Interface Design...

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

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

Top 10 most affordable universities for mainframe programmers

The most affordable schools for mainframe 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 mainframe 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 mainframe 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 mainframe programmers

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

Some great schools for mainframe 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 mainframe 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 mainframe programmers

The easiest schools for mainframe 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 mainframe 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 mainframe 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 mainframe programmer salary by education level

Mainframe programmers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $95,628 annually. With a Master's degree, mainframe programmers earn a median annual income of $93,386 compared to $89,826 for mainframe programmers with an Bachelor's degree.

Mainframe programmer education level	Mainframe programmer salary
Master's Degree	$93,386
Bachelor's Degree	$89,826
Doctorate Degree	$95,628
Some College/ Associate Degree	$79,697

Mainframe programmer education FAQs

What is the best college for Mainframe Programmers?

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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

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