Best Online Technology Programs 2026: CS and IT Degrees

For 2026, seven online computing programs have College Scorecard outcomes you can compare: Georgia Tech’s online MS in computer science, and bachelor’s programs at Oregon State, the University of Florida, Arizona State, Western Governors University (WGU), Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) and Penn State World Campus.

Their computing graduates’ median earnings ran from $91,671 to $195,622 four years after finishing, and median federal debt from $7,044 to $31,250. Software developers earned a median $135,980 in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Tech is one of the few fields where the work itself happens on a computer, so an online program has no clinical or lab hours to arrange. The choices that matter are the major, the price and whether you need a degree at all.

Seven online computing programs and what their graduates earned

We picked these seven as examples of online computing programs at schools that report the matching field to College Scorecard. It is an editorial selection, not a ranking. Program details below come from each school’s own site.

The outcomes table below reads College Scorecard’s June 2026 field-of-study file. Georgia Tech’s row is a master’s; the rest are bachelor’s. Georgia Tech and Florida report under Computer and Information Sciences, General; Arizona State under Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management; Penn State under Information Science; the others under Computer Science.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data updated June 10, 2026. Earnings and debt cover every graduate of that field and credential at the school, online and on campus together, so they describe the school's graduates, not what any one student will earn. Earnings are the median for graduates working and not enrolled four years after finishing (2017-18 and 2018-19 graduates, in 2024 dollars); debt is the median federal loan debt of graduates (2018-19 and 2019-20); "Not published" means Scorecard suppresses the figure for a small cohort. Scorecard pages: Georgia Tech, University of Florida (UF Online), Oregon State Ecampus, Southern New Hampshire University, Arizona State University, Penn State World Campus, Western Governors University.

Scorecard does not publish a four-year earnings figure for WGU’s computer science bachelor’s graduates, so that row sorts last. Its debt figure is published.

Scorecard’s figures describe past graduates, not your result

Scorecard is the most consistent public source for comparing schools on pay and borrowing. It helps to know exactly what each number covers.

• Earnings are the median pay of graduates who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. They cover 2017-18 and 2018-19 graduates, in 2024 dollars.
• Debt is the median federal loan debt (Stafford and Grad PLUS) of 2018-19 and 2019-20 graduates. Private loans and money paid out of pocket are not in it.
• Scope is every graduate of that field and credential at the school, online and on campus together. It is not a figure for the online program alone.
• Fully online is the school’s own report of whether all, some or none of its credentials in that field can be finished entirely by distance education.
• “Not published” means Scorecard withheld the figure, usually because the group of graduates is small.

The figures leave out current tuition, how long students take to finish, and what any one student will earn. The outcomes table sorts rows by median earnings because Scorecard publishes that figure for most rows. A higher number does not make a program better for you: the mix of jobs graduates take, where they live and who enrolls all move a school’s median.

Computer science, IT and information science lead to different jobs

Computer science programs center on programming, algorithms and systems, the work of software developers and data scientists. Information technology (IT) and information science programs lean toward running networks, systems and users, the work of administrators and support specialists. Read each program’s course list before you apply.

What the jobs pay: BLS May 2025 wages

These are national BLSBLS, Bureau of Labor Statistics. The U.S. Department of Labor agency that publishes pay and job outlook figures for each occupation. wages for May 2025, with the typical entry education BLS lists for each job and its projected growth from 2025 to 2035.

BLS lists a bachelor’s as the typical entry education for the top five jobs in the table. Network support lists an associate degree and user support lists some college, no degree. That is the honest case for and against the degree: certificates and experience can get you into support work, while developer, security and data roles usually start with a bachelor’s.

Four checks before you apply

1. Pick the job, then the major

   Developer and data roles point to computer science; administration and support roles point to IT or information science. If you are not sure which fits, Degree Match goes from the work you like to a degree and what the job pays.

2. Count your transfer credits

   If you already hold a bachelor’s, look at second-degree routes such as Oregon State’s 60-credit postbaccalaureate option or a master’s like Georgia Tech’s.

3. Check ABET only if you need it

   If a target employer asks for ABET, confirm the program in ABET’s directory before you enroll.

4. Price it with this year's tuition

   Scorecard debt is not the price. Get the current tuition, compare flat-rate terms (WGU) with per-credit pricing, then subtract any employer benefit.

Three ways to cut the cost

Federal aid for the bachelor’s. Students without a bachelor’s can qualify for a Pell Grant, which pays up to $7,395 for 2026-27. The guide to Pell Grants for adults covers who qualifies.

Federal loans for the master’s. Graduate students can borrow up to $20,500 a year in Direct Unsubsidized Loans. Grad PLUS loans are no longer available to new borrowers after July 1, 2026, per Federal Student Aid. The Grad Loan Gap Check shows what those loans cover of a master’s program’s yearly cost.

Employer tuition help. Up to $5,250 a year of employer-paid education can be tax-free under IRS Section 127. The employer tuition benefits checker lists what several large employers offer.

Frequently asked questions

Is an online computer science degree respected?

Employers hire for the job’s skills, and the online programs above award the same degree title as their schools’ other programs. Scorecard’s earnings figures cover each school’s online and on-campus graduates together, so they cannot separate the two.

Do I need a degree to work in IT?

Not for every role. BLS lists some college, no degree as the typical entry education for user support specialists and an associate degree for network support. Developer, security and data roles typically start with a bachelor’s.

How long does Georgia Tech’s online master’s take?

Georgia Tech requires 30 credit hours, or 10 courses, for the degree. How long that takes depends on how many courses you take each term.

Next step: see what aid covers before you choose

Shortlist two or three programs from the tables, then get this year’s tuition from each. The aid check shows what Pell, state grants and federal loans could cover for your situation before you commit to one.

Degree Sources is not affiliated with any school listed or with any government agency.