Information Technology vs Computer Science

Information Technology vs Computer Science: The Short Version

Both degrees sit in the computing family and both lead to well-paid work, so the names blur together. They are different disciplines with different goals.

Information technology teaches you to select, set up, run, secure and support the computer systems that organizations depend on. The core subjects are networking, operating systems, databases, security, cloud services and troubleshooting, with enough scripting to automate routine work. Graduates end up as systems administrators, network administrators, security analysts, support specialists and IT managers.

Computer science teaches you how computation works and how to build software. The core subjects are programming, data structures, algorithms, discrete mathematics, computer architecture and theory. Graduates end up as software developers, data scientists, and researchers, and some move into systems work.

A rough rule: IT keeps the systems running, and computer science builds the systems. There is overlap, and good people move between the two, but that is the clearest way to choose.

What You Study in Information Technology vs Computer Science

The curriculum difference is the most practical thing to look at, because it tells you what four years of your life will look like.

An information technology curriculum usually includes:

• Networking, from addressing and routing to wireless and network security
• Operating systems administration, often Windows and Linux
• Database design and management
• Information security and risk
• Cloud computing and virtualization
• Scripting and automation
• Project management and, often, a capstone built around a real system

A computer science curriculum usually includes:

• Programming in several languages
• Data structures and algorithms
• Discrete mathematics, and often calculus and linear algebra
• Computer architecture and operating system internals
• Theory of computation
• Software engineering
• Electives such as machine learning, graphics or compilers

The pattern is breadth against depth. IT surveys the systems an organization uses and teaches you to keep them healthy. Computer science goes deep on how programs and computers work, and it expects more mathematics. If the thought of proofs and algorithm analysis appeals to you, computer science is for you. If you would rather configure a network and fix a real problem, IT is.

Information Technology vs Computer Science Jobs

Jobs are where the choice shows up. The jobs below are the ones an IT degree most commonly leads to, with the national median from the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, May 2025 release, at bls.gov/oes.

• Network and computer systems administrator: $99,130
• Computer systems analyst: $105,850
• Database administrator: $104,620
• Information security analyst: $129,180
• Computer network architect: $134,050
• Computer and information systems manager: $175,140
• Computer user support specialist: $61,860

Computer science graduates tend to take software developer and related roles, which are separate BLS occupations. This site does not cover them, so check the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for software developers if that is your goal. The computer and information technology section lists every occupation with pay and outlook.

The point to take away is that an IT degree opens a different set of doors, not a smaller set. Most organizations have far more systems to run than software to write, and the IT jobs are spread across every industry. For the pay and outlook of each job above, see our IT salaries pages.

Which Degree Leads to Which Pay

Pay comparisons between the two degrees are often misleading, because they compare averages across very different jobs. The meaningful comparison is job to job.

An IT graduate who becomes a systems administrator earns around the median of $99,130, with a range from $62,640 to $155,050. One who moves into security earns around $129,180, and one who becomes a manager earns around $175,140. A computer science graduate in software development is in a different pay structure with its own spread.

Two lessons follow. First, the degree name matters less than the job you land and how well you do it. Second, the highest-paying IT jobs, in architecture, security and management, are reachable with an IT degree. You do not need to switch to computer science to earn well. You need to choose the specialty and add experience.

Be careful with outlook as well. BLS projects some IT occupations to shrink, such as network and computer systems administrators at -4.1% and support specialists at -3.5%, while information security analysts are projected to change by 21% between 2025 and 2035. An IT graduate who aims at security or architecture is aiming at growth, and one who aims only at routine support is not.

Accreditation in Information Technology vs Computer Science

Accreditation is the most overlooked difference, and it matters if you plan to pay for a degree.

Both fields use ABET, the accreditation body for computing programs, but they fall under different criteria. ABET lists about 65 accredited information technology programs at US institutions, and 19 of them are offered fully online. You can see those programs in our ranking of ABET-accredited online IT degrees.

The count is small compared with how many schools offer IT. IPEDS, the federal education data system, shows 350 IT bachelor’s offerings in 2023-24, so most programs are not ABET-accredited. That does not make them poor, and regional accreditation is the baseline that matters for financial aid and transfer. But if the degree is a long-term bet, ABET accreditation is a signal that the curriculum has been reviewed against outside standards.

Security is a second angle. The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security designate institutions as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. About 454 institutions hold the designation, and it can help with some government and contractor jobs. Our ranking of online IT degrees at CAE-CD schools lists those programs.

How to Choose Between Information Technology and Computer Science

Start with what you want to do all day. Four questions help.

Do you want to build software or run systems? If you picture yourself writing code that becomes a product, choose computer science. If you picture yourself making sure a company’s network, servers and data are secure and working, choose IT.

How do you feel about mathematics? Computer science asks for more of it and makes it central. IT uses far less. If advanced math would push you away from finishing the degree, IT is the better fit, and finishing matters more than the name on the diploma.

Do you need to work while you study? IT programs are widely available online and often designed for working adults, with many offered asynchronously. That makes IT easier to combine with a job, and a support job is itself valuable experience.

What is your long-term path? If it points toward management, security or architecture, IT leads there directly. If it points toward software engineering or research, computer science does.

None of these choices is permanent. People move from IT into software and from computer science into systems work. But each degree is the shorter route to its own set of jobs.

Common Myths About Information Technology vs Computer Science

“IT is just help desk.” Support is one entry point, and it is the occupation with the lowest median in the list above. But the same degree leads to security, architecture and management, where medians are far higher. Treating IT as support work misses most of the field.

“Computer science is always the better degree.” It is the better degree for software development. For running and securing systems, it is not, and a computer science graduate often needs to learn networking and administration on the job. Employers hiring an administrator or a security analyst do not require computer science.

“You need a degree in either to work in tech.” You do not. People enter IT through support jobs and certifications, and some move up without ever finishing a degree. The degree shortens the path to the higher-paying jobs and keeps management open, but it is not a gate to the field.

“The two are interchangeable to employers.” Mostly not. A job posting for a developer asks for computer science or equivalent skills. A posting for an administrator or analyst asks for IT, information systems or related fields. Read postings for the jobs you want, and match your degree to the pattern. Information systems is a third option, closer to business; the IT vs information systems guide explains how it differs.

Information Technology vs Computer Science for Career Changers

If you are already working and thinking about a change, the choice leans toward IT more often than you might expect. Most career changers want a job in three to five years, with their income intact. IT offers a clearer route to that: start in support or a related role, earn a certification, study online part time, and move into administration or analysis as you finish.

Computer science works for career changers too, especially those with a strong mathematics or programming background. But the route into software development is competitive, it leans on interviews that test algorithms, and it is harder to do while holding a full-time job in an unrelated field.

Whichever you choose, check what the program costs against the pay for the job you want. Our rankings show cost and format for each program, and the IT salaries pages show what the jobs pay.

Information Technology vs Computer Science If You Are Undecided

If you cannot decide, there are low-risk ways to find out. Take an introductory programming course and an introductory networking or systems course, and notice which one you want to keep doing. Try a certification course such as CompTIA A+, which gives you a feel for hardware and support work at a low cost. Spend a weekend building something small in code.

You can also start with an associate degree or the first two years of a bachelor’s, since the general education and introductory courses are similar. Many schools let you switch majors after the first year without losing credits.

When you are ready to compare real programs, start with the best online IT bachelor’s degrees ranking. And if you are weighing whether to do a degree at all, read our guide on whether an IT degree is worth it.