Quick answer: Artificial intelligence and machine learning are taught mostly as specializations within a computer science degree, since the dedicated AI degree is still overwhelmingly master’s-level. The subject suits online delivery well, with no laboratory or clinical component that resists distance study. Programs, the careers this degree opens, and what they pay are covered below.
Artificial intelligence has its own classification of instructional program now, and it is worth knowing how thin it still is at undergraduate level: the AI code is taught at a small number of institutions and is overwhelmingly master’s-level, with only a fraction as many bachelor’s completions as computer science.
The practical consequence for anyone choosing a degree today is straightforward. At bachelor’s level, AI and machine learning are specializations inside a computer science degree, not a separate degree. You take the computer science core - discrete mathematics, algorithms, linear algebra, probability - and then the machine learning sequence sits on top of it. A dedicated AI master’s is the specialization step, if you take it.
That has a useful implication: the mathematics is the actual prerequisite, not the AI coursework. Linear algebra and probability are what machine learning is built from, and a program that offers an AI concentration without a serious mathematics sequence is selling the label rather than the capability.
If modelling and statistics interest you more than building software, online data science degree is the more direct route, and its occupation is projected to grow considerably faster.
Verify the school’s institutional accreditation, check how much machine learning a program actually contains rather than trusting the concentration name, and assess the mathematics sequence honestly. With that filter set, compare online computer science programs enrolling now:
Every school listed is verified in federal IPEDS data both to award this degree and to offer programs that can be completed entirely by distance education at this level. Whether this exact degree is delivered fully online varies by school, so confirm the format before you apply.
This page lists 10 schools, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 10 of them carry a score.
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
ABET accredits computing programs through a dedicated commission, though it is less universal here than in engineering and many strong programs are not accredited. Institutional accreditation from a recognized institutional accreditor is what to verify, and it governs credit transfer.
Before you shortlist schools, it also helps to be precise about the work this degree points at.
Versus information technology. Computer science builds software; IT runs and secures the systems. Both are legitimate careers with different day jobs. See online information technology degree.
Versus cybersecurity. Security is a specialism that can be entered from either side. See online cybersecurity degrees for techs.
Versus computer engineering. Hardware rather than software: computer hardware engineers design the machines. That path pays a higher median but on far smaller employment. See online computer engineering degree.
Versus MIS. Management information systems is the business-facing route, leading toward the management rung. See online management information systems degree.
An online computer science degree can lead to software development, at a median $135,980 across 1,687,890 jobs, with employment projected to change by 15.8% through 2034 (BLS OEWS, May 2025; BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
| Metric | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage, software developers | $135,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Wage range | $82,460 (10th pct) - $214,670 (90th pct) | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Employment | 1,687,890 software developers | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Projected change (2024-34) | 15.8%, about 115,200 openings per year | BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34 |
| Research rung | Computer and information research scientists, $140,300, 19.7% projected change | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| License | None. Software work is not a state-licensed occupation | - |
| SOC codes covered | 15-1252 software developers; 15-1253 QA analysts and testers; 15-1211 computer systems analysts; 15-1221 computer and information research scientists | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
The public conversation about AI replacing programmers runs well ahead of the published data, so here is the data.
| Occupation | SOC | Median | Employment | Projected change | Annual openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software developers | 15-1252 | $135,980 | 1,687,890 | +15.8% | 115,200 |
| Computer systems analysts | 15-1211 | $105,850 | 519,530 | +8.7% | 34,200 |
| Software QA analysts and testers | 15-1253 | $104,300 | 186,740 | +10.0% | 14,000 |
| Computer and information research scientists | 15-1221 | $140,300 | 37,200 | +19.7% | 3,200 |
Wages and employment: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Projections: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34.
Three things stand out. Software development is still projected to grow 15.8 percent and posts 115,200 openings a year, the largest hiring volume of any occupation covered on this site. The research rung grows fastest at 19.7 percent but is tiny at 37,200 jobs and 3,200 openings. And quality assurance, the most routine of the four, grows slowest among the technical roles.
That ordering - judgment-heavy work growing faster than routine work - is the same pattern the data shows in data science, where modelling grows 33.5 percent while database administration declines, and in manufacturing on the mechatronics page. It is the most consistent economic signal in this dataset.
None of that is a promise about any individual job. Projections are projections.
The case for: 1,687,890 jobs, a median of $135,980, a 90th percentile of $214,670, 115,200 openings a year, no licensure gate, and a subject that loses less to online delivery than any other on this site (BLS OEWS, May 2025; BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
The case against: the mathematics sequence is genuinely hard and is where most attempts end; entry-level hiring is more competitive than the aggregate numbers suggest; and the field’s tooling changes faster than curricula do, so the degree teaches fundamentals and you keep learning afterwards. If you want technical work with a shorter path, the mechatronics and robotics route is two years rather than four.
Is college worth it covers the general tradeoff. Individual outcomes may vary.
The national median annual wage for software developers is $135,980 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The bottom 10 percent earn $82,460 or less and the top 10 percent earn $214,670 or more, across employment of 1,687,890 nationally. It is one of the largest and best-paid occupations covered on this site.
The published projections do not show the collapse the discussion often assumes: software developer employment is projected to change by 15.8% from 2024 to 2034, with about 115,200 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34). What has changed is which parts of the work are scarce. Research-level roles are projected at 19.7% and testing roles at 10.0%. Nobody can promise what any individual role looks like in ten years.
There is a dedicated artificial intelligence CIP now, but it is overwhelmingly taught at master's level, with far fewer bachelor's completions. The practical route at bachelor's level is a computer science degree with AI and machine learning coursework, then specializing at master's level if you go that far. Check how much machine learning a program actually contains rather than trusting the concentration name.
Yes, and it is among the best-served subjects online. There is no laboratory or clinical component that resists distance delivery, and coursework is naturally computer-based. Expect proctored exams. The main thing lost at a distance is informal collaboration with other students, which matters more in this field than most.
Computer science is about building software and the theory underneath it; IT is about running and securing systems others built. The wage data reflects it: software developers earn a median $135,980 while the IT and networking occupations sit lower. Neither is better, but they lead to different jobs. Read both course lists before choosing.
Yes. Discrete mathematics, linear algebra, probability and algorithms are the core of an accredited computer science degree, and machine learning specifically rests on linear algebra and probability. This is the most common reason people do not finish. Assess that sequence honestly before enrolling.
Computer systems analysts, at a median $105,850 across 519,530 jobs, sit between the technical and business sides. Software quality assurance analysts and testers earn $104,300 across 186,740 jobs. Computer and information research scientists, the research rung, earn $140,300 and are projected to change by 19.7% through 2034 (BLS OEWS, May 2025; BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
It is demanding but not unusual. The mathematics sequence is the real barrier rather than the programming, and troubleshooting instinct from technical work transfers well. Expect four years for the bachelor's and a genuine calculus and discrete-mathematics load. Individual outcomes may vary.
State pay, licensing and metro-level data for this degree. Wage and employment figures on every state page come from BLS OEWS, May 2025.
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About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
