What can you do with a Computer Science degree from Ball State University?

First, some facts. Of the Computer Science graduates from Ball State University we've analyzed , here's how many have used (or NOT used) their degree in their career:


These are estimates based on AI analysis of 10 LinkedIn profiles (see below).

The verdict? Above average. Overall, with an average relevance score of 77%, Computer Science graduates from Ball State University have a higher likelihood (+10%) of finding work in this field compared to the average graduate across all fields:

Average score: 77%
Average relevance score across all fields: 67%

And for comparison, here's the chart for all profiles we've looked at across all degrees.

× Chart

Also, after graduating, only 10% of these graduates have pursued further education other than another Bachelor's degree (such as a Masters degree or other), compared to the average across all profiles of 35%. This suggests a Bachelors degree is enough for most Computer Science graduates, and it's normal to look for work straight after graduation.

See the details:

View a random Computer Science graduate from Ball State University and our analysis:


Relevance score: 50%

We think this person has gone into a career only somewhat relevant to their degree.

DEGREE INFO

Graduated in 2012 from Ball State University with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Computer Science. No other secondary education since.

JOB HISTORY SINCE GRADUATION
Owner/ Consultant
[NAME REMOVED] Plevo Consulting
Feb 2013 - Present
As an Owner/Consultant, the role likely requires the application of technical skills and knowledge from the computer science degree to provide relevant consulting advice, making it directly relevant.

Grill Warrior
HuHot Mongolian Grill
Mar 2013 - Present
The Grill Warrior position does not utilize any skills or knowledge from a computer science degree, as it focuses solely on food preparation and customer service.

ABOUT

No information provided.

What jobs can you get with a Computer Science degree from Ball State University?

The top 10 most common jobs done by the graduates we've analyzed (ranked most common to least) are:


Looking at the job trajectories of graduates from Ball State University with a degree in Computer Science, it’s clear that many have landed roles that are pretty closely tied to their studies. A lot of them work as software developers or engineers, which makes total sense since those positions demand the technical skills and programming knowledge that they learned in school. For instance, you have multiple Application Developers and Software Engineers who are directly applying their education in their day-to-day work, showing a strong connection between their degree and job functions.

However, not everyone has stuck to roles that scream “computer science.” There are quite a few who ended up in jobs that have little to do with programming or technical skills, like the Grill Warrior or even positions focused more on analysis rather than development. While some of these roles may touch on tech-related skills, they don't fully leverage the core computer science knowledge gained from their degree. Overall, it seems the most common and relevant paths for these graduates lie in software development, engineering, and more technical analysis roles, while others have veered off into industries that may not use much of their educational background at all.

Here is a visual representation of the most common words in job titles for Computer Science graduates (this is across all Computer Science graduates we've analyzed, not just those who went to Ball State University):

What kind of career trajectories do Computer Science graduates from Ball State University have? What do they do 1, 5 or 10 years out?

Looking at the career trajectories of graduates from Ball State University's Computer Science program, it seems that most of them are finding their way into solid tech roles right after graduation. For instance, many of the early graduates took on roles like application developers or software engineers, which are pretty standard gigs in the tech world. By the five-year mark, several of them have not only moved up in their respective companies but have also transitioned into senior or lead positions, which is a great sign. This indicates that they are building their careers successfully and making a name for themselves in the industry. For example, one graduate went from an application developer to a lead role in just a few years at the same company, which is pretty impressive.

Now, on the flip side, not every graduate is sticking strictly to tech-related jobs. Some have drifted into unrelated fields; for instance, one individual worked as a grill warrior just after graduation and has kept at that for a while. That said, it seems that many of the recent graduates, especially those from 2020 onward, have started to find their footing in software engineering roles or related positions, which suggests that they might return to tech after dabbling in other areas. The overall picture is one of upward mobility, particularly in technology-focused careers, indicating that a degree from Ball State in Computer Science can indeed set you up for a fulfilling career in the tech industry if you stay committed to that path.

How hard is a Computer Science degree from Ball State University?

Getting a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at Ball State University, or pretty much anywhere else, can definitely be challenging, but it really depends on your background and interests. If you’ve got a knack for math and problem-solving, you might find it more manageable, but expect a healthy mix of coding, algorithms, and some pretty dense coursework. It’s not exactly a walk in the park, and you’ll have to put in some serious effort, especially when the programming assignments pile up. Most students find it tougher than average, but with the right mindset and dedication, it’s totally doable! Just stay curious and don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it—everyone’s in the same boat.

How long does it take?

Most commonly, in the LinkedIn profiles we've looked at, it takes people 4 years to finish a Bachelor degree in Computer Science.

Do Computer Science graduates from Ball State University tend to make good money?

Looking at these Computer Science grads from Ball State University, it seems like they've all landed pretty decent gigs, especially those who graduated a little earlier. The 2015 grad moved up to a Lead Application Developer role, which usually pays well, and the 2016 grad has been a Software Engineer II since graduation, likely making good money too. The 2018 grad started out as a Game Educator but then snagged a Lead Technical Analyst position, and now works at CVS Health—definitely a solid career path. The 2020 grads had a rocky start with a mix of jobs, but some have landed Software Engineer roles, which tend to pay nicely for entry-level work. Overall, it looks like they're doing well for themselves, especially compared to some other fields where entry-level salaries can be a lot lower!

What buzzwords do Computer Science graduates use to describe themselves?

Here is a visual representation of the most common words seen in the "about" section of LinkedIn profiles who have a Bachelor degree in Computer Science (this is across all Computer Science graduates we've analyzed, not just those who went to Ball State University). This may or may not be useful:

What are the best colleges for Computer Science?

Here are all colleges offering a Bachelor degree in Computer Science (ordered by the average relevance score of their Computer Science graduates, best to worst) where we have analyzed at least 10 of their graduates:

College Score Count
Stevens Institute of Technology 99 11
Eastern Michigan University 98 10
Colorado School of Mines 98 27
Michigan Technological University 98 12
Northern Arizona University 97 11
Northeastern University 97 21
UC Santa Barbara 96 10
University of Notre Dame 96 13
Carnegie Mellon University 96 14
University of Southern California 95 13
University of California San Diego 95 30
Eastern Washington University 95 13
Worcester Polytechnic Institute 95 24
Caltech 95 10
Northwestern University 94 14
Seattle University 94 12
Shanghai Jiao Tong University 94 10
Penn State University 93 30
University of Washington 93 61
Purdue University 93 50
University of California, Davis 93 21
University of California, Berkeley 93 41
The University of Georgia 93 10
University of Maryland 93 42
Cornell University 93 21
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 92 25
City University of New York-College of Staten Island 92 10
Grinnell College 92 10
Arizona State University 91 42
University of Wisconsin-Madison 91 44
San Jose State University 91 23
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo 91 28
The University of Texas at Arlington 91 17
Virginia Tech 91 19
University of Utah 91 22
Drexel University 91 28
Wayne State University 91 11
Missouri University of Science and Technology 91 26
Brigham Young University 90 32
Colorado State University 90 32
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 90 23
Oklahoma State University 90 10
Stony Brook University 90 25
University of Massachusetts Lowell 90 20
Vanderbilt University 90 14
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 90 17
University of Michigan College of Engineering 90 16
Gandhi Institute of Technology & Management (GITAM) University, Visakhapatnam 90 26
Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad 90 11
University of Michigan 89 39
University of Pittsburgh 89 22
University of Virginia 89 38
University of Iowa 89 15
Georgia Institute of Technology 89 84
University at Buffalo 89 20
Utah Valley University 89 17
Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University 89 12
Manipal Institute of Technology 89 11
GITAM Deemed University 89 12
University of South Florida 88 24
James Madison University 88 16
The University of Texas at San Antonio 88 18
University of Delaware 88 12
Miami University 88 15
UC Irvine 88 52
University at Albany, SUNY 88 15
Brown University 88 11
The University of Texas at Austin 87 34
Michigan State University 87 22
Kent State University 87 11
Illinois State University 87 14
Clemson University 87 11
The University of Alabama 87 10
Washington State University 87 14
University of Maryland College Park 87 18
University of Illinois at Chicago 87 25
Rochester Institute of Technology 87 19
The University of Texas at El Paso 87 30
Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani 87 17
University of California, Los Angeles 86 26
University of Missouri-Columbia 86 14
University of Connecticut 86 11
University of Massachusetts Amherst 86 27
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi 86 12
University of Rochester 86 11
BV Raju Institute of Technology (BVRIT) 86 13
University of Florida 85 30
North Carolina State University 85 33
Grand Valley State University 85 11
Portland State University 85 22
University of Minnesota 85 38
Utah State University 85 16
University of Massachusetts, Amherst 85 10
New York Institute of Technology 85 10
University of Central Florida 84 43
The Ohio State University 84 18
Brigham Young University - Idaho 84 16
New York University 84 19
California State University, Northridge 84 12
Appalachian State University 84 18
Boston University 84 14
University of Oklahoma 84 11
The University of Texas at Dallas 84 75
Old Dominion University 84 10
Missouri State University 84 10
Rowan University 84 26
West Chester University of Pennsylvania 84 11
University of Maryland Baltimore County 84 20
Montana State University-Bozeman 84 12
Savitribai Phule Pune University 84 12
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham 84 11
Sathyabama University 84 11
Texas A&M University 83 35
Indiana University Bloomington 83 19
Auburn University 83 12
Oregon State University 83 41
University of Arkansas 83 15
Kansas State University 83 17
California State University San Marcos 83 16
University of Wyoming 83 10
Illinois Institute of Technology 83 17
KL University 83 39
PES University 83 25
CVR College of Engineering, Hyderabad 83 10
Gitam University, Hyderabad 83 14
University of Colorado Boulder 82 33
Tennessee Technological University 82 12
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 82 17
Wentworth Institute of Technology 82 10
University of Illinois Springfield 82 10
Louisiana State University 81 12
San Diego State University 81 17
George Mason University 81 32
University of Nebraska-Lincoln 81 11
University of Nevada-Las Vegas 81 23
Mississippi State University 81 13
Bowling Green State University 81 15
Weber State University 81 15
Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University 81 82
University of Georgia - Franklin College of Arts and Sciences 81 18
Vellore Institute of Technology 81 35
Florida International University 80 32
Temple University 80 15
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities 80 28
University of California, Santa Cruz 80 48
University of Mumbai 80 17
Visvesvaraya Technological University 80 32
University of Arizona 79 18
Texas State University 79 25
Northern Illinois University 79 10
California State University, Fresno 79 10
North Dakota State University 79 10
University of Hawaii at Manoa 79 14
California State University, Monterey Bay 79 15
Lovely Professional University 79 18
University of California, Riverside 78 21
University of Kentucky 78 13
Boise State University 78 14
SRM University 78 34
JNTUH College of Engineering Hyderabad 78 64
Georgia State University 77 30
Ball State University 77 10
Western Washington University 77 22
Rutgers University 77 20
University of Vermont 77 14
Washington University in St. Louis 77 14
New Jersey Institute of Technology 77 23
Princeton University 77 10
Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kakinada 77 23
Florida State University 76 18
Rutgers UniversityNew Brunswick 76 18
Anna University 76 18
University of North Texas 75 22
Rajiv Gandhi Prodyogiki Vishwavidyalaya 75 13
Texas Tech University 74 23
Kennesaw State University 74 20
California State University, Long Beach 74 14
Stanford University 74 13
Osmania University 74 28
University of Houston 73 31
California State University-Sacramento 73 37
University of California, San Diego 73 10
Sreenidhi Institute of Science and Technology 73 11
San Francisco State University 72 22
University of North Carolina at Charlotte 72 50
Oakland University 72 12
Columbia University in the City of New York 72 11
University of Washington Tacoma 72 14
East Carolina University 71 10
California State University, Fullerton 71 20
Queens College 71 19
University of California, Irvine 71 11
University of Maryland Global Campus 71 13
Andhra University 71 10
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona 70 31
Towson University 70 14
Sathyabama Institute of Science & Technology, Chennai 70 12
Western Governors University 68 28
Tufts University 68 11
Southern New Hampshire University 66 21
University of Nebraska at Omaha 66 10
University of Houston-Downtown 66 11
Florida Atlantic University 65 22
Troy University 65 10
University of Central Arkansas 63 10
University of Maryland University College 62 14
DeVry University 61 16
California State University-San Bernardino 60 11
University of Phoenix 57 14
Hunter College 47 11