Data Science vs. Computer Science: Dedicated Degrees and Concentrations

Computer science and data science share programming, algorithms and machine learning, and some universities teach them in the same school; Illinois, for example, has a Siebel School of Computing and Data Science. You will see three kinds of programs: dedicated data science degrees, computer science degrees with a data science concentration or track, and joint degrees that name both fields. They can look similar on a course list, but they award different degrees. This guide explains the differences and how to decide which one fits your plans.

How the two fields are defined

The federal Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), maintained by the National Center for Education Statistics, describes them differently.

• Computer Science (11.0701) "focuses on computer theory, computing problems and solutions, and the design of computer systems and user interfaces from a scientific perspective."
• Data Science, General (30.7001) focuses on the analysis of large-scale data from the perspectives of applied statistics, computer science, data storage, data modeling and mathematics. It lists instruction in algorithms, programming, data management, data mining, mathematical modeling and statistics.

Computer science is centered on computing itself. Data science treats computer science as one of several foundations, with statistics and mathematics carrying equal weight. That difference usually shows up in how many statistics courses a program requires.

Three ways the degrees are built

Dedicated data science degrees

The awarded degree is data science: a BS or BA in Data Science, an MS in Data Science, a Master of Data Science. The core usually mixes statistics, programming and machine learning from the start. These are the bulk of our listings. In our directory (October 2026), 144 of 217 programs are dedicated data science degrees.

Computer science degrees with a data science concentration

Here the degree is computer science, and data science is an officially named track, option or concentration inside it. You complete the computer science requirements and use some of your courses on data science topics. Examples from university catalogs:

• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The online Master of Computer Science offers a data science track (MCS-DS) that "requires coursework in machine learning, data mining, data visualization and cloud computing." The university says these courses fit into the standard MCS requirements, so no extra coursework is needed.
• UMass Amherst. On-campus MS in Computer Science students can add a Data Science concentration of four data science core courses, two data science electives and one statistics course. The college states there is one application for the standard MS and the concentration, and the concentration is added after admission.
• University of Washington. The Computer Science BS has a Data Science option that adds courses such as CSE 442, 444 and 446 and SOC 225, which raises the major to 80 to 87 credits.

In our directory (October 2026), 23 programs are concentrations within related degrees such as computer science, statistics, mathematics and information science.

Joint degrees

A joint degree is a single degree whose title names both fields. NYU's BA in Computer and Data Science is an example: its bulletin says the major "integrates the full Data Science curriculum with the Computer Science curriculum," and it requires nineteen 4-credit courses (76 credits).

What your diploma says

This is the most concrete difference. A concentration does not change the name of the degree. Illinois states plainly that the diploma and transcript for its online program "will only indicate 'Master of Computer Science'" and will not mention the online mode of delivery. Whether a track name appears anywhere on your transcript is set by each university, so check the registrar or catalog if it matters to you.

The table describes common patterns. Programs vary, so confirm each point in the official catalog.

When a concentration fits

A computer science degree with a data science concentration can make sense if:

• You want a computer science credential and keep software engineering, systems or research computing roles open, with data science as a specialty.
• You already have a strong statistics background and want deeper computing coursework.
• The school's computer science program has the faculty or format you want, such as an online option.

A dedicated data science degree may be the better fit if you want statistics, modeling and machine learning to make up most of your coursework rather than a defined subset, or if you are coming from a field where the computer science core would be a large jump.

What BLS says about the related occupations

The Bureau of Labor Statistics profiles both career paths.

• Data Scientists. BLS says data scientists typically need at least a bachelor's degree in mathematics, statistics, computer science or a related field, and some employers require or prefer a master's or doctoral degree. The median annual wage was $120,230 (May 2025), with employment projected to grow 35 percent from 2025 to 2035.
• Computer and Information Research Scientists. BLS says these workers typically need at least a master's degree in computer science or a related field, and notes that some design experiments to test software systems "frequently using techniques from data science and machine learning." The median annual wage was $140,300 (May 2025), with employment projected to grow 22 percent from 2025 to 2035.

These are national occupation figures, not results for any program. Individual outcomes vary and are not program-specific.

Next steps

Browse bachelor's programs or master's programs to see dedicated, joint and concentration listings, each labeled. If you are also weighing statistics, see Data Science vs. Statistics.