<p>As others have said, computer science (CS) is not primarily concerned with web development; it’s hard to pinpoint a specific domain it focuses on at all. Many people point at the mathematical foundations of CS and say it has something to do with algorithms or mathematical this and that; this description is really difficult to comprehend for people who haven’t already studied higher level mathematics or CS! I like to describe it as the study of automating the manipulation and transformation of information (numbers, images, text, audio, or other media both existing or not yet invented). Notice I make no mention about programming or even computers!</p>
<p>You probably don’t need a CS degree if you’re more interested in tech business or even programming. It’s not too difficult to pick up programming skills on your own using either books or the internet; a CS degree might help you pick up one or two languages at a -basic- level, but the coursework alone will never prepare you to be competent at programming real applications. I know plenty of CS students (and professors!) who aren’t really good at programming, and it doesn’t make them poor computer scientists.</p>
<p>Obtaining a CS degree to be a run-of-the-mill programmer seems to me like being an engineer so you can maintain your car - completely unnecessary. Anyone can learn how to change oil, check air pressure, change a battery, etc. Even auto mechanics don’t need to know the physics and mathematics that go into designing a well balanced and fast machine.</p>
<p>To be a confident programmer who can write “sophisticated” applications without a team of software engineers designing the layout or computer scientists developing the algorithms, you will benefit from some background in CS. It’s hard to appreciate what that means until you’ve obtained a degree in CS, but think of the car analogy. Computer scientists are the ones looking at problems with existing algorithms and how things currently work so they can push new ideas forward. This is the “science” in computer science.</p>