What can you do with a Computer Science degree from Western Governors University?

First, some facts. Of the Computer Science graduates from Western Governors 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 28 LinkedIn profiles (see below).

The verdict? Slightly above average. Overall, with an average relevance score of 68%, Computer Science graduates from Western Governors University have a slightly higher likelihood (+1%) of finding work in this field compared to the average graduate across all fields:

Average score: 68%
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 Western Governors University and our analysis:


Relevance score: 100%

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

DEGREE INFO

Graduated in 2014 from Western Governors University with a Bachelor of Science, IT - Security Emphasis in Computer Science. Also pursued further education since (see below).

JOB HISTORY SINCE GRADUATION
Associate Vice President, Information Technology
Schauer Group, Inc.
Mar 2014 - Present
The role of Associate Vice President, Information Technology directly utilizes expertise in IT and security, aligning well with the individuals Bachelor of Science degree with an emphasis in Computer Science and Security.

FURTHER DEGREES DONE SINCE GRADUATING
Master of Science - MS
Western Governors University
2020 - 2022
ABOUT

No information provided.

What jobs can you get with a Computer Science degree from Western Governors University?

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


When looking at jobs held by graduates from Western Governors University with a degree in Computer Science, it’s clear that there's quite a mix in terms of relevance to the actual field. Many have landed roles such as project managers, IT support, and even some engineering positions, but the core focus on software development and programming isn’t always prevalent. For example, job titles like IT Specialist or Project Manager might require some technical understanding, but they don’t really dive deep into the day-to-day coding or algorithmic problem solving that typically defines a Computer Science role.

On the flip side, there are definitely graduates who found their way into positions that align closely with Computer Science, like Software Engineers, Data Analysts, and DevOps Engineers. These roles make much more direct use of programming skills, data analysis, and systems architecture which are central to a Computer Science degree. The problem is that not every graduate is leveraging their degree fully in their career. While some are making the most of their education, others have drifted into roles that seem disconnected from the foundational skills they developed during their studies. So overall, it's a mixed bag, with a good number of graduates in jobs that might not fully utilize their Computer Science background, alongside those who are really thriving in tech-centric roles.

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 Western Governors University):

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

Graduates from Western Governors University (WGU) who earned a degree in Computer Science have shown quite a diverse range of career trajectories. Many of them seem to kick off their careers in solid entry-level positions related to IT and tech, such as system analyst roles, IT support, and software testing. For example, graduates from earlier years have landed roles like System Analyst II, Business Analyst, and QA Data Analyst not long after they graduated, which indicates they're starting off on paths that are directly connected to their studies. Over time, many have moved up the ladder into more senior positions, such as Senior Software Engineers and Directors of Fulfillment, suggesting that they're building successful careers in tech-related fields.

Taking a closer look at the data, it appears that the job market has been relatively favorable for these graduates, with many staying within the tech industry and making notable advancements. Fast forward five to ten years after graduation, and you can find individuals managing teams, leading projects, or even running their own businesses. For instance, one graduate became an Associate Vice President, while another started their own design consulting firm. This trajectory shows that WGU's Computer Science program can indeed pave the way to fulfilling and relevant careers, as many grads are finding themselves in positions that leverage their skills effectively in technology and operations.

How hard is a Computer Science degree from Western Governors University?

Honestly, a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science can be pretty challenging, but it really depends on your background and how well you handle the material. At Western Governors University (WGU), which is known for its competency-based approach, you’ll often find that you have to be really self-motivated since you’re mostly learning on your own. The courses can get technical with programming, algorithms, and systems design, so if you're not into problem-solving and math, it might feel a bit overwhelming at times. However, if you're passionate about tech and willing to put in the effort, it can also be really rewarding. In a nutshell, it's not the easiest degree out there, but with dedication, you can totally make it work!

How long does it take?

Most commonly, in the LinkedIn profiles we've looked at, it takes people 2 years to finish a Bachelor degree in Computer Science.

Do Computer Science graduates from Western Governors University tend to make good money?

Looking at this group of Western Governors University graduates, it seems like they’ve landed some pretty solid jobs overall, especially given that many of them are in tech-related fields, which generally tend to pay well. For instance, the associate vice president of IT and the senior software engineers are probably raking in a good salary, and roles like project manager in tech can also be quite lucrative. On the other hand, some of the earlier positions, like IT support roles, tend to pay less, but many have moved up quickly, indicating they’re likely making decent money now. However, for those who just graduated in 2023, they might still be on the lower end of the pay scale as they’re starting out in their careers. So, overall, it looks like most of these grads are doing pretty well for themselves financially!

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 Western Governors 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