Information Science: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries
Program Overview
Information Science is an interdisciplinary field dedicated to understanding how information is created, managed, shared, and used across diverse contexts—both physical and digital. It equips students with analytical and technical skills to design systems that enhance access, usability, and efficiency in information environments.
- Information classification and organization: Methods for structuring data and content to support retrieval, usability, and logical accessibility across systems.
- Information storage and processing: Principles and technologies involved in securely storing, managing, and manipulating large volumes of data.
- Transmission, transfer, and signaling: Techniques for moving information across networks, including protocols, bandwidth considerations, and signal integrity.
- Communications and networking: Study of network architectures, data flow, and infrastructure that enable real-time and asynchronous information exchange.
- Systems planning and design: Strategic approaches to developing information systems that meet user needs, align with organizational goals, and scale effectively.
- Human interfacing and use analysis: Research into user behavior, interaction design, and usability testing to create intuitive and inclusive digital experiences.
- Database development: Design, implementation, and management of structured data systems for efficient storage, querying, and retrieval.
- Information policy analysis: Evaluation of legal, ethical, and institutional frameworks governing data access, privacy, ownership, and intellectual property.
- Hardware and software integration: Understanding the interplay between computing infrastructure and application platforms in information systems.
- Economic and social dimensions of information: Exploration of how information impacts markets, institutions, equity, and societal development.
- Information capacity and scalability: Assessment of system limits, performance under load, and strategies for sustainable growth in information environments.
Information Science Graduate Trends (2010-2024)
Information Science Career Pathways & Salary Outlook
The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Information Science degrees, including Computer and Information Systems Managers, Computer and Information Research Scientists and Database Architects. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 2,990,680 professionals.
National Average Salaries
| Occupation | Median Salary | Salary Range | Total Employment | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Systems Managers 11-3021 | $171,200 | $104,450 - $239,200 | 645,970 | $82.31 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists 15-1221 | $140,910 | $80,670 - $232,120 | 38,480 | $67.74 |
| Database Architects 15-1243 | $135,980 | $81,630 - $209,990 | 64,770 | $65.37 |
| Software Developers 15-1252 | $133,080 | $79,850 - $211,450 | 1,654,440 | $63.98 |
| Computer Occupations, All Other 15-1299 | $108,970 | $52,650 - $176,800 | 439,380 | $52.39 |
| Web and Digital Interface Designers 15-1255 | $98,090 | $47,840 - $192,180 | 111,400 | $47.16 |
| Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1021 | $96,690 | $48,910 - $172,380 | 36,240 | N/A |
Information Science Salary Map by State
Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $85,942 in Arkansas to $156,301 in California—a 82% difference. The highest-paying states include California, Washington, and New York. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 2,990,680 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.
Average Salary Range:
Top Universities for Information Science by Graduate Enrollment
Below are the top 99 institutions offering Information Science programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Information Science is found at University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) (2,259 graduates), Trine University, Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses (1,381 graduates), The University of Texas, Dallas (863 graduates), University of Maryland (UMCP), College Park (829 graduates), and University of California (UCB), Berkeley (659 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 19,382 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.
| College Name | Award Levels | Graduates | Location | Control | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) |
Certificate (≥2 yrs)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
2,259 | Adelphi, Maryland | Public | umgc.edu |
| Trine University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
1,381 | Angola, Indiana | Private | trine.edu |
| The University of Texas |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
863 | Richardson, Texas | Public | utdallas.edu |
| University of Maryland (UMCP) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
829 | College Park, Maryland | Public | umd.edu |
| University of California (UCB) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
659 | Berkeley, California | Public | berkeley.edu |
| University of Michigan (U‑M) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
518 | Ann Arbor, Michigan | Public | umich.edu |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
500 | Champaign, Illinois | Public | illinois.edu |
| University of North Texas (UNT) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
491 | Denton, Texas | Public | unt.edu |
| University of Maryland (UMBC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
Other Award
|
476 | Baltimore, Maryland | Public | umbc.edu |
| Rutgers University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
466 | New Brunswick, New Jersey | Public | newbrunswick.rutgers.edu |
| Pennsylvania State University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
439 | University Park, Pennsylvania | Public | psu.edu |
| Ivy Tech Community College (Ivy Tech) |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Associate's
Other Award
|
384 | Indianapolis, Indiana | Public | ivytech.edu |
| The University of Texas |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
324 | Arlington, Texas | Public | uta.edu |
| Syracuse University |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
318 | Syracuse, New York | Private | syracuse.edu |
| Pace University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
315 | New York, New York | Private | pace.edu |
| CUNY Bernard M Baruch College |
Bachelor's
|
302 | New York, New York | Public | baruch.cuny.edu |
| University of Utah (U of U) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
294 | Salt Lake City, Utah | Public | utah.edu |
| University of Washington (UW) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
283 | Seattle, Washington | Public | washington.edu |
| Cleveland State University (CSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
276 | Cleveland, Ohio | Public | csuohio.edu |
| Lamar University (LU) |
Master's
|
271 | Beaumont, Texas | Public | lamar.edu |
| University of South Florida (USF) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
233 | Tampa, Florida | Public | usf.edu |
| CUNY New York City College of Technology (NYCCT) |
Bachelor's
|
227 | Brooklyn, New York | Public | citytech.cuny.edu |
| The University of Texas |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
202 | Austin, Texas | Public | utexas.edu |
| Boston University (BU) |
Master's
|
198 | Boston, Massachusetts | Private | bu.edu |
| Texas A & M University |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
196 | College Station, Texas | Public | tamu.edu |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
189 | Chapel Hill, North Carolina | Public | unc.edu |
| University of Massachusetts |
Associate's
Bachelor's
Other Award
|
184 | Lowell, Massachusetts | Public | uml.edu |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
180 | Newark, New Jersey | Public | njit.edu |
| Northwestern University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
178 | Evanston, Illinois | Private | northwestern.edu |
| Kennesaw State University (KSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
166 | Kennesaw, Georgia | Public | kennesaw.edu |
| Florida State University (FSU) |
Master's
Post-Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
165 | Tallahassee, Florida | Public | fsu.edu |
| Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
164 | Richmond, Virginia | Public | vcu.edu |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus |
Master's
|
162 | Denver, Colorado | Public | ucdenver.edu |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
161 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Public | uwm.edu |
| Pennsylvania State University |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
160 | University Park, Pennsylvania | Public | worldcampus.psu.edu |
| University at Buffalo (UB) |
Master's
|
157 | Buffalo, New York | Public | buffalo.edu |
| Purdue University Global |
Bachelor's
Other Award
|
154 | West Lafayette, Indiana | Public | purdueglobal.edu |
| University of Pittsburgh |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
152 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Public | pitt.edu |
| James Madison University (JMU) |
Bachelor's
|
151 | Harrisonburg, Virginia | Public | jmu.edu |
| University of Massachusetts |
Master's
|
142 | Boston, Massachusetts | Public | umb.edu |
| University of Denver (DU) |
Master's
|
134 | Denver, Colorado | Private | du.edu |
| University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) |
Bachelor's
|
128 | Chicago, Illinois | Public | uic.edu |
| DePaul University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
112 | Chicago, Illinois | Private | depaul.edu |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center |
Bachelor's
|
111 | New York, New York | Public | gc.cuny.edu |
| University at Albany (UAlbany) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
111 | Albany, New York | Public | albany.edu |
| University of Toledo (UToledo) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
103 | Toledo, Ohio | Public | utoledo.edu |
| Dakota State University (DSU) |
Associate's
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
Other Award
|
100 | Madison, South Dakota | Public | dsu.edu |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
99 | Rolla, Missouri | Public | mst.edu |
| Eastern Florida State College (EFSC) |
Bachelor's
|
96 | Melbourne, Florida | Public | easternflorida.edu |
| University of Alabama (UAB) |
Master's
|
88 | Birmingham, Alabama | Public | uab.edu |
| University of Nebraska (UNO) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
87 | Omaha, Nebraska | Public | unomaha.edu |
| University of the Cumberlands |
Master's
|
84 | Williamsburg, Kentucky | Private | ucumberlands.edu |
| Stony Brook University (SBU) |
Bachelor's
|
82 | Stony Brook, New York | Public | stonybrook.edu |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
80 | Madison, Wisconsin | Public | wisc.edu |
| University of Delaware (UD) |
Master's
|
78 | Newark, Delaware | Public | udel.edu |
| Pratt Institute |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
77 | Brooklyn, New York | Private | pratt.edu |
| Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) |
Master's
|
77 | Rochester, New York | Private | rit.edu |
| Colorado State University (CSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
74 | Fort Collins, Colorado | Public | colostate.edu |
| George Washington University (GW) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
71 | Washington, District of Columbia | Private | gwu.edu |
| Dallas Baptist University (DBU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
71 | Dallas, Texas | Private | dbu.edu |
| Boston College (BC) |
Bachelor's
|
69 | Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts | Private | bc.edu |
| Tarleton State University (TSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
69 | Stephenville, Texas | Public | tarleton.edu |
| George Mason University |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
69 | Fairfax, Virginia | Public | www2.gmu.edu |
| Ace Institute of Technology |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
|
66 | New York, New York | Private | acecareer.edu |
| Merrimack College |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
65 | North Andover, Massachusetts | Private | merrimack.edu |
| Johns Hopkins University (JHU) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
64 | Baltimore, Maryland | Private | jhu.edu |
| Loyola University Maryland |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
64 | Baltimore, Maryland | Private | loyola.edu |
| University of Kentucky (UK) |
Bachelor's
|
63 | Lexington, Kentucky | Public | uky.edu |
| University of Colorado Boulder (CU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
62 | Boulder, Colorado | Public | colorado.edu |
| University of Houston (UHCL) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
62 | Houston, Texas | Public | uhcl.edu |
| Robert Morris University (RMU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
60 | Moon Township, Pennsylvania | Private | rmu.edu |
| Salisbury University (SU) |
Bachelor's
|
59 | Salisbury, Maryland | Public | salisbury.edu |
| Norwich University |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
58 | Northfield, Vermont | Private | norwich.edu |
| Pennsylvania State University |
Bachelor's
|
57 | Abington, Pennsylvania | Public | abington.psu.edu |
| Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) |
Associate's
|
56 | Troy, New York | Public | hvcc.edu |
| SUNY Buffalo State University |
Bachelor's
|
55 | Buffalo, New York | Public | suny.buffalostate.edu |
| The University of Tennessee |
Bachelor's
|
55 | Knoxville, Tennessee | Public | utk.edu |
| CUNY Lehman College |
Bachelor's
|
53 | Bronx, New York | Public | lehman.edu |
| University of California (UCR) |
Bachelor's
|
52 | Riverside, California | Public | ucr.edu |
| San Jose State University (SJSU) |
Bachelor's
|
52 | San Jose, California | Public | sjsu.edu |
| Ball State University (BSU) |
Master's
|
52 | Muncie, Indiana | Public | bsu.edu |
| Harding University |
Master's
|
51 | Searcy, Arkansas | Private | harding.edu |
| Claremont Graduate University (CGU) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
51 | Claremont, California | Private | cgu.edu |
| Drexel University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
51 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Private | drexel.edu |
| Utah Valley University (UVU) |
Bachelor's
|
50 | Orem, Utah | Public | uvu.edu |
| Cuyahoga Community College District (Tri-C) |
Associate's
Other Award
|
49 | Cleveland, Ohio | Public | tri-c.edu |
| University of Houston (UH) |
Master's
|
49 | Houston, Texas | Public | uh.edu |
| Fort Hays State University (FHSU) |
Bachelor's
|
48 | Hays, Kansas | Public | fhsu.edu |
| University of South Alabama (USA) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
46 | Mobile, Alabama | Public | southalabama.edu |
| University of Arkansas (UA Little Rock) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
46 | Little Rock, Arkansas | Public | ualr.edu |
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (SRU) |
Bachelor's
|
45 | Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania | Public | sru.edu |
| South University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
45 | Savannah, Georgia | Private | N/A |
| Rowan University |
Bachelor's
|
43 | Glassboro, New Jersey | Public | rowan.edu |
| Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech) |
Master's
|
41 | Melbourne, Florida | Private | fit.edu |
| Indiana Institute of Technology (Indiana Tech) |
Master's
|
41 | Fort Wayne, Indiana | Private | indianatech.edu |
| Yeshiva University (YU) |
Master's
|
40 | New York, New York | Private | yu.edu |
| University of Houston (UHV) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
39 | Victoria, Texas | Public | uhv.edu |
| Columbia College |
Bachelor's
Other Award
|
38 | Columbia, Missouri | Private | ccis.edu |
| Southern University (SUNO) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
36 | New Orleans, Louisiana | Public | suno.edu |
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about Information Science programs
How much can I earn with a Information Science degree?
Salaries for Information Science graduates vary by role and location. Computer and Information Systems Managers earn a median of $171,200 annually, while Computer and Information Research Scientists earn around $140,910. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in California average $156,301 compared to $85,942 in Arkansas. Approximately 2,990,680 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.
Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.
Which universities have the largest Information Science programs?
Currently 380 accredited institutions offer Information Science degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) (2,259 graduates), Trine University, Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses (1,381 graduates), and The University of Texas, Dallas (863 graduates).
Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.
Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.
Is enrollment in Information Science growing or declining?
Graduate numbers have increased over the past decade, rising from 12,110 in 2010 to 22,425 in 2023-24. This represents a 85% increase overall from 2010.
The field remains specialized with steady interest, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.
Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.
What career paths are available with a Information Science degree?
This degree prepares you for roles such as Computer and Information Systems Managers, Computer and Information Research Scientists, and Database Architects. Related occupations employ approximately 2,990,680 professionals nationwide.
Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.
Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.
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