Data Analytics graduates pursue 8 occupations, with top roles paying $166,570/yr or more. The career cards below break down wages, daily tasks, and 10-year job growth projections for each.
This page covers Data Analytics as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Interdisciplinary Studies and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Data Analytics is a focused area of study within Interdisciplinary Studies. You will not have trouble finding it: 292 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 7,294 students complete it each year, most walking away with a master's. The focus is on writing, analysis, and communication that transfer across industries.
Colleges Offering
292
Graduates / Year
7,294
Avg Net Price / yr
$19,325
Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown
Of the 7,294 students who complete Data Analytics programs each year, the majority (67%) earn a master's degree.
The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
22%67%
Master's67%
Bachelor's22%
Post-Bacc Cert.9%
What Can You Do With a Data Analytics Degree?
This degree does not lock you into one job. Data Analytics graduates show up in 8 different occupations, and Financial Manager pays the most at $166,570/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
Reading ComprehensionComplex Problem SolvingCritical ThinkingJudgment and Decision MakingReading Comprehension
Day-to-day responsibilities
Plan, direct, or coordinate accounting, investing, banking, insurance, securities, and other financial activities of a branch, office, or department of an establishment.
Establish and maintain relationships with individual or business customers or provide assistance with problems these customers may encounter.
Oversee the flow of cash or financial instruments.
Plan, direct, or coordinate the activities of workers in branches, offices, or departments of establishments, such as branch banks, brokerage firms, risk and insurance departments, or credit departments.
Develop and implement a set of techniques or analytics applications to transform raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software. Apply data mining, data modeling, natural language processing, and machine learning to extract and analyze information from large structured and unstructured datasets. Visualize, interpret, and report data findings. May create dynamic data reports.
Generate standard or custom reports summarizing business, financial, or economic data for review by executives, managers, clients, and other stakeholders.
Maintain or update business intelligence tools, databases, dashboards, systems, or methods.
Manage timely flow of business intelligence information to users.
MathematicsMathematicsComplex Problem SolvingJudgment and Decision MakingReading Comprehension
Day-to-day responsibilities
Develop or apply mathematical or statistical theory and methods to collect, organize, interpret, and summarize numerical data to provide usable information. May specialize in fields such as biostatistics, agricultural statistics, business statistics, or economic statistics. Includes mathematical and survey statisticians.
Analyze and interpret statistical data to identify significant differences in relationships among sources of information.
Evaluate the statistical methods and procedures used to obtain data to ensure validity, applicability, efficiency, and accuracy.
Report results of statistical analyses, including information in the form of graphs, charts, and tables.
Conduct quantitative analyses of information involving investment programs or financial data of public or private institutions, including valuation of businesses.
Critical ThinkingActive ListeningReading ComprehensionJudgment and Decision MakingComplex Problem Solving
Day-to-day responsibilities
Conduct organizational studies and evaluations, design systems and procedures, conduct work simplification and measurement studies, and prepare operations and procedures manuals to assist management in operating more efficiently and effectively. Includes program analysts and management consultants.
Gather and organize information on problems or procedures.
Confer with personnel concerned to ensure successful functioning of newly implemented systems or procedures.
Analyze data gathered and develop solutions or alternative methods of proceeding.
ProgrammingActive ListeningCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingQuality Control Analysis
Day-to-day responsibilities
Create, modify, and test the code and scripts that allow computer applications to run. Work from specifications drawn up by software and web developers or other individuals. May develop and write computer programs to store, locate, and retrieve specific documents, data, and information.
Write, analyze, review, and rewrite programs, using workflow chart and diagram, and applying knowledge of computer capabilities, subject matter, and symbolic logic.
Correct errors by making appropriate changes and rechecking the program to ensure that the desired results are produced.
Perform or direct revision, repair, or expansion of existing programs to increase operating efficiency or adapt to new requirements.
Teach courses in business administration and management, such as accounting, finance, human resources, labor and industrial relations, marketing, and operations research. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as financial accounting, principles of marketing, and operations management.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Reading ComprehensionWritingCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingActive Listening
Day-to-day responsibilities
Research conditions in local, regional, national, or online markets. Gather information to determine potential sales of a product or service, or plan a marketing or advertising campaign. May gather information on competitors, prices, sales, and methods of marketing and distribution. May employ search marketing tactics, analyze web metrics, and develop recommendations to increase search engine ranking and visibility to target markets.
Prepare reports of findings, illustrating data graphically and translating complex findings into written text.
Collect and analyze data on customer demographics, preferences, needs, and buying habits to identify potential markets and factors affecting product demand.
Conduct research on consumer opinions and marketing strategies, collaborating with marketing professionals, statisticians, pollsters, and other professionals.
Top Colleges for Data Analytics
Not sure where to study Data Analytics? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by Data Analytics graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats.
Read our methodology →
Related Interdisciplinary Studies Programs
Data Analytics is not the only path through Interdisciplinary Studies: 38 other specializations sit alongside it. The comparison below ranks them by 4-year median earnings so you can see where this one lands.
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page
into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Data Analytics program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find
schools that match your profile.
The data on Data Analytics shows 2 measurable strengths and 2 real trade-offs. All points are sourced from College Scorecard earnings, BLS projections, and IPEDS graduate counts.
PROS
Fast-growing fieldRelated careers are projected to grow up to +34.6% over the next decade, with Data Scientist among the fastest-growing roles.
Strong hiring volumeRelated occupations generate more than 305,100 job openings per year combined, creating consistent demand for graduates.
CONS
Advanced degree often expectedTop roles in this field typically expect a master's degree or higher. A bachelor's may be a starting point rather than a terminal credential for the most competitive positions.
Declining roles in some areas1 related career show negative 10-year employment projections. Research specific roles before committing.
Data Analytics Degree: Frequently Asked Questions
What jobs can you get with a Data Analytics degree?
Financial Manager is one path, and it pays a median of $166,570 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.
How long does a Data Analytics program take?
Four years for the bachelor's, plus one to two more if you continue on to a master's, which many Data Analytics students do. Some schools shorten that with an accelerated 5-year combined program.
How many colleges offer Data Analytics?
292 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.
What is the difference between Data Analytics and Interdisciplinary Studies?
Data Analytics is the narrower of the two: Interdisciplinary Studies covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Data Analytics-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.
What skills do employers look for in Data Analytics graduates?
Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Data Analytics graduates consistently look for writing, critical analysis, and cross-cultural communication. Employers value the ability to synthesize complex information clearly, skills that transfer into communications, law, consulting, and content roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.
What is the job outlook for Data Analytics graduates?
Outlook is strong overall: related occupations average +9.8% projected job growth over the next 10 years. Data Scientist is among the strongest-growth roles at +34.6%. That average hides real differences by role and location, so check the Career Paths section below for the projection on each specific occupation before you count on any single number.
Related Interdisciplinary Studies Programs
Other programs in Interdisciplinary Studies. Compare earnings, credentials, and career paths before committing to a specialization.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Choose a Major Pillar
A decision framework for picking a college major using your interests, aptitudes, and federal earnings data to reach a defensible choice before applying.
Yes, most schools allow it, but the schedule math rarely works without either overlapping requirements or extra time. Here's when it actually fits in four years.
The real cost of a second major, when it pays back and when it doesn't, and why a focused single major with a relevant minor often beats a double major.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
All 38 Majors, Ranked by What Graduates Earn
The highest-earning college major out-pays the lowest by a factor of two and a half. The full ranking of all 38 fields by median graduate earnings, with job growth alongside.
Major earnings
Highest paying majors
Job growth
STEM
Field of study
Does Engineering Tech Out-Earn Engineering? The Data Says No
A popular claim holds that the applied engineering-tech degree pays more than the theoretical one. Across every program, engineering wins by about $10,000.
Engineering tech
Engineering
Program earnings
Applied degree
Technician careers
STEM Is Not One Thing: The Pay Gap Within STEM
Across 88 STEM programs the top one out-earns the bottom by $65,000 a year. Operations research pays $122,531; environmental design pays $57,461.
STEM earnings
Engineering pay
Computer science
Program earnings
Major choice
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.