How Can Ohio Meet Its Computer Science and Information Technology Workforce Demands?

The number of jobs in computer science (CS) and information technology (IT) is projected to grow rapidly in the United States over the next decade as the demand for workers expands and current CS and IT workers retire. (See the gray box for definitions of both CS and IT.) In fact, employment in many CS and IT occupations is expected to grow faster than in all occupations together (see Figure 1).

• Information security analysts: 33%
• Computer and information research scientists: 26%
• Software developers: 18%
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• Computer network architects: 13%
• Web developers: 9%
• Database administrators: 8%
• Total, all occupations: 4%

SOURCE: Features information from Emily Krutsch, "Computer Science Education Week: Explore In-Demand IT Jobs," U.S. Department of Labor Blog, December 1, 2022; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Computer and Information Technology Occupations," webpage, last updated August 29, 2024.

Additionally, CS and IT occupations generally pay above-average wages, which are also expected to increase faster than average U.S. wages. As a result, in a December 2022 blog post, the U.S. Department of Labor suggests that CS and IT jobs provide a viable path to better job opportunities and wage growth.

Ohio's Computer Science and Information Technology Workforce Rankings Suggest Room for Improvement

Against the larger backdrop of growth in CS and IT employment and wages nationally, Ohio is looking for ways to grow and diversify its CS and IT workforces. To help support this effort, a RAND research team examined the current state of Ohio's CS and IT workforces and identified ways in which the state might strengthen and diversify these workforces. The team drew on quantitative data from a national survey of households in Ohio and elsewhere in the United States, as well as Ohio administrative records, complemented by qualitative data from focus groups with Ohio students.

• 28th among U.S. states in share of employment in computer science/information technology sectors
• 37th among U.S. states in share of computer science/information technology degrees awarded
• 44th among U.S. states in growth of computer science/information technology degrees
• $13,000 lower in annual computer science/information technology wages than the rest of the United States

SOURCES: Employment share and wages are based on the authors' calculations using one-year American Community Survey extracts (see Steven Ruggles, Sarah Flood, Matthew Sobek, Danika Brockman, Grace Cooper, Stephanie Richards, and Megan Schouweiler, "IPUMS USA: Version 13.0," dataset, IPUMS, 2023). Data on postsecondary degrees were taken from the 2022 Report of the State Committee on Computer Science.

Indicators for key CS and IT metrics suggest that Ohio ranks below the rest of the United States, as shown in Figure 2. In growth of CS and/or IT (CS/IT) degrees, Ohio ranks 44th in the United States; in share of degrees awarded in CS/IT, the state ranks 37th, according to the 2022 Report of the State Committee on Computer Science. The RAND research team's analyses of American Community Survey data indicate that average education levels among workers in CS and IT are lower in Ohio than in the rest of the United States. In addition, the median income in CS/IT is much lower in Ohio than in the rest of the United States, and this gap cannot be fully explained by Ohio's lower cost of living, average wages, or education levels. These patterns suggest that there is room to improve the state's CS and IT workforces, potentially beginning with postsecondary education in these fields.^[1]

How Can Ohio Grow and Diversify Its Computer Science and Information Technology Workforces?

To understand how Ohio can grow and diversify its CS and IT workforces, the researchers examined the current state of Ohio's CS and IT education-employment pathways using detailed administrative records on individual educational experiences in institutions of higher education (IHEs) and wage records in Ohio. They also examined data from focus groups with Ohio residents. They addressed three main research questions, shown in Figure 3.

How do students in Ohio's public institutions of higher education (IHEs) progress through key transitions in postsecondary computer science and information technology education?

What are the individual wage returns for different computer science and information technology postsecondary credentials in Ohio?

What factors facilitate and impede computer science and information technology postsecondary education and wages in Ohio?

While the researchers took a comprehensive view of key forward transitions in postsecondary education–employment pathways in CS and IT, from early postsecondary school to wage employment, they paid particular attention to sub-baccalaureate pathways. Existing research underscores that individuals with CS and IT associate's degrees enjoy higher wages overall and greater income stability in economic downturns than individuals who earn CS and IT certificates. This research also highlights the democratizing role that community colleges can play in increasing access to postsecondary education and the critical role that sub-baccalaureate workers of all kinds play in the U.S. economy.

How Do Students in Ohio's Public Institutions of Higher Education Progress to Degree Completion in Computer Science and Information Technology Education?

Over time, a small but growing share of Ohio's postsecondary students has completed a CS or IT credential of some kind (see Figure 4).

Share of undergraduate degree completers

Degree Type	2006	2019
Computer Science certificates	0.003523	0.0077909
Computer Science associate's degrees	0.0149129	0.0099167
Computer Science bachelor's degrees	0.0116635	0.0203561
Information Technology certificate	0.0003078	0.0021615
Information Technology associate's degrees	0.0019667	0.0034323
Information Technology bachelor's degrees	0.001505	0.0033373

SOURCE: Authors' calculations using administrative postsecondary records from the Ohio Longitudinal Data Archive from 2006 and 2019.

NOTE: This figure is based on data for all students during the period of observation (2006 and 2019). CS/IT education was defined using Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). (NCES uses these codes to surveil trends in postsecondary education.) CS fields of study were defined as CIP codes 11.01, 11.02, 11.05, 11.07, 11.08, 11.09, 14.09, and 15.12; IT fields of study were defined as CIP codes 11.04, 11.10, and 11.99. N = 887,250 (undergraduate degree completers).

The results show that more students complete degrees and certifications in CS fields than in IT fields. In both fields, associate's degrees are the most frequently awarded. These results vary by gender, race and ethnicity, and age:

• Female students in Ohio face a disadvantage that begins early in postsecondary education and persists through credential completion, although gender disparities in initial coursework are less acute in IT, and some gender disparities in CS and IT are somewhat smaller in two-year institutions than in four-year institutions.
• Black and Hispanic students who begin at four-year institutions have similar chances of completing early coursework, entering a program of study, and completing bachelor's degrees in especially CS, compared with White and Asian students.
• However, significant disadvantages exist for Black and Hispanic students who begin at two-year institutions, even after adjusting for any differences in academic achievement.
• Students 25 years and older have similar chances of completing early coursework and enrolling in programs as their younger counterparts.
• However, older students have lower chances of completing bachelor's degrees, even after adjusting for any differences in academic achievement and even among older students who begin at four-year institutions.

What Are the Wage Returns for Computer Science and Information Technology Credentials in Ohio?

Next, the researchers examined wage returns to CS and IT credentials in Ohio. In particular, they investigated how average wages vary across groups of students earning different credentials. In their analysis, the researchers used summary statistics, as well as regression models that adjusted for individual characteristics that do not vary over time during the period of analysis (e.g., personality) and for individual and other characteristics that vary over time. They considered short-term certificates that require less than a year of education, long-term certificates that take a year or more of education, two-year associate's degrees, and four-year bachelor's degrees. Figure 5 summarizes their results. Their analysis revealed the following:

• Regression models indicate that wage returns are larger for longer-term credentials (relative to short-term credentials) and CS credentials (relative to IT credentials).
  • Bachelor's degrees have the largest estimated returns, with wages increasing $5,961 (118 percent) per quarter for a CS degree and $3,650 (72 percent) for an IT degree.
  • There are no significant returns to earning a short-term certificate in CS or IT or a long-term certificate in IT.
  • However, long-term certificates in CS are associated with an average increase in wages of $1,348 (27 percent) per quarter.
  • Returns are slightly higher for associate's degrees in CS ($1,797; 36 percent) and IT ($616; 12 percent) than for certificates.
• The average returns to certificates and associate's degrees for CS and IT are roughly equivalent to the returns for these credentials in non-CS and non-IT fields.
  • This lack of an earnings premium for these CS and IT credentials might make it difficult to attract students to shorter-term CS and IT programs.
  • The returns to a bachelor's degree in CS or IT are higher than the average returns to bachelor's degrees in other fields.
• Estimated returns to different credentials vary across demographic groups.
  • Average returns for CS and IT credentials are larger for men than for women and for White and Asian students than for students who are Black or Hispanic.
  • These gender, racial, and ethnic wage gaps are especially notable for students who complete bachelor's degrees.

Average change in average quarterly earnings after degree receipt ($)

Degree type	Computer Science (CS)	Information Technology (IT)	Computer Science (CS)/Information Technology (IT)	Other
Short certificate	426.906	-818.603	-8.63	396.21
Long certificate	1347.65	-549.715	732.17	1,226.93
Associate's Degrees (AA)	1797.029	616.393	1,631.82	1,785.14
Bachelor's degree (BA)	5961.347	3649.612	5,630.04	2,257.45

SOURCE: Authors' calculations using administrative employment records from the Ohio Longitudinal Data Archive from 2006 to 2019.

NOTE: AA = associate's degree; BA = bachelor's degree. This figure shows the average increase in wages associated with receipt of each type of credential in the relevant field. The Other category captures all degrees in fields other than CS or IT. The error bars represent the 95-percent confidence intervals for the estimates. Estimates for which the error bars do not cross the y-axis at zero are statistically significant at the 5-percent level. N = 899,039. There are 498,366 individuals in the sample who started at two-year institutions and 400,673 individuals who started at four-year institutions.

What Factors Facilitate and Impede Computer Science and Information Technology Education and Wages?

To complement their quantitative analyses, the researchers recruited postsecondary students in CS, IT, and similar fields (e.g., statistics) for focus groups centered on education-employment pathways in CS and IT and students' information-gathering and decisionmaking related to these pathways. The analysis of focus group data revealed insights into facilitators of and barriers to CS and IT education and careers in Ohio (Figure 6).

Initial interest in CS and IT

• Positive

  • Close personal contacts with CS and IT experience
  • Opportunities to explore CS and IT at school, work, or otherwise
  • Cultural pressure (e.g., family, community) to pursue CS and IT

• Negative

  • Perceptions of difficulty of CS and IT coursework and careers
  • Gendered pressure to pursue a traditionally female career instead of CS and IT

CS and IT program and institution selection

• Positive

  • Online learning and campuses close to home
  • Affordable tuition and fees
  • Close connections and word of mouth

Completing CS and IT credentials

• Positive

  • Quality instruction and learning materials

• Negative

  • Perceived lower market value of bootcamps and independent learning
  • Limited opportunity to interact with instructors
  • Little interaction among peers or collaborative learning
  • Difficulties in accessing institutional supports

Finding CS and IT employment

• Negative

  • Confusion over employer preferences for technical skills and credentials
  • Difficulty connecting with employers for experiential learning and employment
  • Limited connections between postsecondary institutions and employers
  • Discrimination and microaggressions, reported by students from underrepresented groups

The researchers asked focus group participants about their initial interest in CS and IT education and careers. Having close contacts, such as family members or close friends, with experience in CS and IT was the most frequently cited facilitator for participants in developing an initial interest in CS and IT. The participants also mentioned opportunities they had to explore CS and IT in experiences at school, at work, or in their personal lives as facilitating their initial interest in these fields. In addition, participants were attracted to CS and IT jobs because they perceived that these jobs pay well, open up diverse work opportunities, and offer flexibility in terms of schedules and remote work.

Participants shared their priorities and processes for selecting their CS and IT education programs:

• They prioritized programs that offered online learning, campuses that were closer to home, and affordability of tuition and fees.
• Personal connections and word of mouth were influential in program search and choice.
• Participants used online searches and campus visits to learn more about options.
• Although some participants considered bootcamps and began their CS and IT learning with self-instruction, they ultimately found themselves drawn to traditional programs because of perceptions of the labor market value of traditional programs and resulting certificates and degrees.

In the words of one CS/IT community college student,

Mainly the whole reason I'm going to college in the first place is, even though I have these skills, I don't really have any way to prove to employers that I have them. So that's the main reason why I'm seeking this degree. . . . Right now, it's definitely serving that purpose of finding that degree and getting that actual professional experience instead of just learning it myself.

Participants generally expressed satisfaction with their programs and other institutional supports, but they indicated some opportunities for improvement, particularly regarding access to faculty and peers:

• During the program selection process, students viewed online programs as desirable for being more accessible than in-person programs. Participants described seeking online programs to manage the logistical burden of postsecondary enrollment. However, online programs made for learning challenges. Participants' descriptions of their learning experiences once they were enrolled revealed the importance of balancing the access of online coursework with the learning and engagement benefits of synchronous and in-person coursework.
• Students in online programs reported that there was limited interaction among peers and expressed a desire for more collaborative learning.
• Students reported mixed ability to reach instructors but good access to institutional supports.

As one CS/IT community college student noted,

[The college has] been able to adjust fine and give me the tools that I need to get to that next level. And . . . it's very refreshing to be at a community college and for them to have so many resources and . . . so many people that are able to point you in a direction to where you can get to the next step.

Another CS/IT community college student described their situation as follows:

I don't really know that many people that I can really, like, ask about how to actually find a position. Like . . . my school provides a . . . job listing site through Handshake that has a bunch of listings on there for, like, different jobs. . . . But it doesn't really work for me. . . . It feels too impersonal. . . . I want to be able to actually talk to somebody and have them help me get a position. But I cannot do that because I don't have anybody I can talk to, really. There are career counselors, which, they're very helpful to help me build up my resume. . . . However, they don't really help too much in [finding a job].

Participants indicated some confusion and gaps in knowledge when they discussed their perceptions of and experiences with finding CS or IT employment:

• Participants expressed confusion regarding employer preferences and the kinds of technical skills and credentials employers seek.
• Participants noted that they needed help connecting with employers for experiential learning and employment.
• The limited nature of connections between institutions and employers restricted students' access to professional knowledge and employment opportunities.
• Students from underrepresented groups reported discrimination and microaggressions that made the field less welcoming and made them question its long-term fit.

One CS/IT community college student described their experience as follows:

I am Native American. And I say that very, very proudly. I was asked during an interview how often I drink, which is never, by the way, if anybody was curious. I forget what else [this person] asked me, but it was incredibly, incredibly racist. Then, of course, I reported [this person] with pride.

Overall, the students in the focus groups stressed the importance of connections: Close personal contacts initiated their interest in the field and provided key information on potential programs and institutions. However, limited opportunities for faculty-student and peer-to-peer engagement restricted their learning, and superficial connections between institutions and employers limited their development of knowledge about employer preferences and direct access to application and employment pipelines.

Recommendations

The researchers offer several recommendations based on both their own analysis and existing evidence on the effectiveness of interventions in CS and IT postsecondary education and workforce development. These recommendations are intended to be a starting point for stakeholders in Ohio as they seek to strengthen their CS and IT education-employment pathways. Although much work is needed to expand and diversify these pathways, many actors within and outside Ohio are well positioned to implement these recommendations:

• Continue to develop IHEs as comprehensive institutions that support CS and IT students as they balance work, family, and other competing demands using a combination of state and federal funding for expanding and diversifying education pipelines.
• Identify ways to increase students' access to instructors, mentors, and peers of the same gender, racial and ethnic, and age groups as themselves, which may help improve their experiences in CS and IT and may help retain students from historically underrepresented groups.
• Strengthen and diversify CS and IT workforces by integrating CS and IT learning into other programs of study and by creating pathways from IT into CS. For example, bringing women into IT and from IT into CS might be a fruitful way to address gender disparities in these fields, since more women initially begin in IT.
• Create strong and effective guidelines to help ensure quality CS and IT education. CS and IT are rapidly changing fields, necessitating commensurate, rapid changes in CS and IT curricula and pedagogy.
• Provide innovative earn-and-learn programs to support new CS and IT workers in their education and to provide them with critical early work experience. Focus group participants expressed confusion over what credentials and skills employers wanted and how to get the sometimes considerable work experience needed for many CS and IT positions. Existing programs of this kind provided by Ohio IHEs and employers are relatively unique but can be scaled in different ways and forms across the state.

Note

• [1] Education in CS, IT, and many other fields begins well before postsecondary school. In this project, the researchers focused on postsecondary education and training to address shorter-term workforce goals of Ohio and other states. Ohio has also previously assessed the role of its kindergarten through 12th-grade education system in relation to the CS and IT workforces; see the 2022 Report of the State Committee on Computer Science. This research partly builds on that effort.

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• Continuing Education
• Cyber and Data Sciences
• Ohio
• Postsecondary Education
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