Computing & Engineering

Data Science major, explained.

Turn messy information into careful questions and useful insight.

Data science combines statistics, computing, data management, visualization, and subject knowledge. Students learn to collect and clean information, select appropriate methods, examine uncertainty, communicate findings, and consider how data-driven systems affect people.

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You might enjoy this if

Notice what feels familiar.

You like finding patterns without ignoring uncertainty.

You are willing to clean and question messy information.

You want to explain what numbers do and do not show.

The study experience

What the work may feel like.

Programs differ by college. These labels describe common areas of emphasis, not a score or universal rating.

Reading Regular
Writing Regular
Quantitative work Central
Labs or hands-on work Frequent
Design and making Some
People and collaboration Some
Questions you may keep asking

Is this the right data for the question?

What pattern is meaningful rather than accidental?

How should uncertainty and limitations be communicated?

StatisticsProgrammingData managementMachine learningData visualization

What can you do with this major?

One major. More than one direction.

These are example connections, not guaranteed outcomes. Many careers welcome more than one major, and some require additional education or licensure.

Data Analyst

Transforms data into findings that help organizations understand performance or make decisions.

Data Scientist

Uses statistical and computational methods to investigate complex questions.

Business Intelligence Analyst

Builds reporting systems and dashboards that make organizational data useful.

Analytics Engineer

Organizes and transforms data so it can be used reliably for analysis.

Data science programs vary in their balance of statistics, computer science, and domain applications. Compare prerequisites and upper-division requirements carefully.

Try it before college

Projects that make Data Science more real.

Reading helps you understand a field. A Compass project helps you discover whether you enjoy doing the work.

Each project includes a step-by-step plan, custom AI prompts, reflection guidance, and a finished creation for the student’s portfolio. See how Compass works
Compass project 30–56 hours

Turn Messy Data Into a Live Dashboard

Take a spreadsheet no one trusts and turn it into a clean tool people can use to see what is happening now.

You will create
live operational data dashboard
Build this with Compass
Compass project 30–56 hours

Build a Sports Analytics Dashboard

Turn a season of numbers into the few insights a coach or athlete can actually use.

You will create
interactive sports analytics dashboard
Build this with Compass
Compass project 30–56 hours

Build a Data Tool for Your Community

Turn a frustrating local question into a simple public tool that helps people find, compare, or understand what matters.

You will create
community data web tool
Build this with Compass

Keep exploring

Related majors worth comparing.

Sources and important context

Compass presents a curated collection of 100 widely studied and commonly searched undergraduate majors. The collection is not a statistical ranking. Major names and CIP connections follow common US college usage and the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs. Study patterns are editorial summaries of common program structures and vary by college. Career directions are examples, not guaranteed outcomes. Students should compare actual curricula, admission rules, accreditation, and licensing requirements at colleges they are considering.

NCES CIP codes: 30.7001

Turn this interest into something real.

Compass gives students the project and the plan.

Explore Compass projects