<p>compared to other engineering branches, computer science seems to have the highest starting salary. Not to mention that the salaries are also skyrocketing... ~8k increase on average salary from 2004 to 2005 and from 2005 to 2006?</p>
<p>Isn't it also much easier to get into the college of letter and sciences than it is for college of engineering?</p>
<p>So where's the catch and what's the reason for this?</p>
<p>One reason is that the CS grads are the best of the best; the students are very strong to begin with. On top of that, Berkeley has much prestige in CS, known to be one of the tippy top schools. Berkeley is also right near Silicon Valley, and it's probably a feeder school for many of the companies in that area. Computer science careers are lucrative these days, too -- Stanford's average starting salaries are comparable.</p>
<p>From a personal observation, I've noticed that there a lot of superb software engineers going back to CC then transferring into Cal for the L&S CS degree. These are people that can make software better than anybody else but doesn't have a technical degree. I suspect that individuals like these with incredible experience also do their share of pulling up the salary curve.</p>
<p>Another reason is of course, because of its proximity to Silicon Valley. Stanford CS graduates also make the most money. It's not all that surprising. A software engineer friend once told me "The great about being here in the bay area is that we're right in the heart of SC, but that's also exactly what's bad about it: everyone will have very high expectations for software engineers in the area because this is the SC!"</p>
<p>CS used to be impacted, so it was as hard, if not harder, to get into the major than to get into engineering. If you had a relatively strong high school academic record, you can get into engineering as a freshman. To get into CS you had to get around a 3.5 in Berkeley CS classes, which is much harder. Anyway, now that it's uncapped, the average salary might take a dip.</p>
<p>I see, thanks guys.</p>
<p>Another question though: when did it get 'uncapped'?</p>
<p>I think it was 3 months ago that it got officially uncapped? The rumor was circulating but wasn't confirmed until this summer.</p>
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Stanford CS graduates also make the most money. It's not all that surprising.
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<p>Actually, from Stanford's most recent official graduate survey, CS grads were making on average ~$5,000 less than CS grads from Berkeley.</p>
<p>Here are the "preliminary" ones for 06-07:</p>
<p>Which still isn't as high as Berkeley's average last year (I assume Berkeley's average has gone up this year, too). In any case, they're making roughly the same.</p>
<p>If you're talking about in general, Berkeley and Stanford grads usually make about the same, though there are some cases where on average one is slightly higher than the other.</p>
<p>So people that go to CS from L&S make more money than the people that go directly to EECS? :P</p>
<p>What do you guys/gals think about the future growth in CS? I really like it, but I'm afraid some Indian guy will take my job.</p>
<p>No need to worry becasue he already did.</p>
<p>^^LOL!</p>
<p>Back on topic, there's no such thing as job security in today's competitive, fast moving and commercialized world. Do what you want to do that you will not leave any regrets, and work your ass off at whatever it is that you choose to do.</p>
<p>Trying to be safe is the most unsafe thing one can do.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot everyone.</p>
<p>So anyone know about how low the salaries for CS will dip?</p>
<p>I'm willing to go into any engineering fields, and salary is the primary factor that's involved in my major selection. So far, mechanical engineering, computer science, and chemical engineering interest me (no EECS because I will probably get rejected due to heavy competition)</p>
<p>If you intend to major in engineering purely for money as a primary factor, you will be miserable for the next 4 years.</p>
<p>The average CS salary will dip simply because now that the major is not impacted, anyone can major (possibly mediocre students) and drag the average salary down. The competition for EECS has gone down the last few years. There are 200 less students in the major now compared to ~5 years ago.</p>
<p>If you intend to major in engineering purely for money as a primary factor, you will be miserable for the next 4 years.</p>
<p>I don't think so; engineering subjects actually do interest me (physics is my favorite science subject, and I'm good at math/calculus).</p>
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So people that go to CS from L&S make more money than the people that go directly to EECS? :P
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<p>Imagine that -- people with a BA can make more money than those with a BS! =O</p>
<p>I don't think so; engineering subjects actually do interest me (physics is my favorite science subject, and I'm good at math/calculus).</p>
<p>The subjects you are good at in high school is not necessarily what you will be good at in college courses. Of course everything I've said is my input and suggestions from experience, you can do whatever you want.</p>
<p>Most engineering majors have similar starting salaries coming out of undergrad ($50,000-$60,000). EECS tend to make a bit more, and BioE tend to make a bit less. ChemE isn't in the College of Engineering.</p>
<p>"Imagine that -- people with a BA can make more money than those with a BS! =O"</p>
<p>Why, it's true...how shocking! ;)</p>
<p>To the OP, In all seriousness, the differences between a BA and BS usually boil down to silly pedantics. The title is almost meaningless-- what qualifies a major as a BA vs a BS? a DDS vs a DMD? etc...</p>
<p>L&S CS vs EECS is not much of an exception.</p>
<p>The differences are roughly these (excluding nonimportant details like L&S's general requirements vs CoE's gen reqs): CS is almost entirely computer science theory. EECS CAN also be mostly CS theory, but many people (it seems MOST) choose to do a more general combination of CS + Hardware. Or a combination leaning towards hardware. Or mostly hardware-related curriculum.</p>
<p>As far as the higher salary is concerned. It may be attributed to the fact that most of the CS respondents have software related job titles, whereas the EECS group have much more EE-related job titles (presumably due to what I wrote above). If I am not mistaken, software jobs/companies tend to offer high starting/entry-level salaries-- perhaps more than hardware equivalents?</p>
<p>In any case, if you're interested in a job related to computer science (which you probably are since youre asking this question) majoring in one or the other will not affect your career opportunities in the slightest-- you take identical lower division core CS courses, and are thus equally equipped for jobs. Decide what else you like. If you're into physics, hardware, etc. EECS would be your best bet. If you want to learn CS to the max, L&S CS might be your best bet, since they require a crapload of CS classes and you might even substitute some advanced math courses in for some of the more technical reqs of CoE and the EECS major.</p>
<p>Someone on this board (I think sakky) argued that the higher salaries for L&S CS graduates is related to the issue of that major being impacted until this year. Whereas most people start in the College of Engineering in their freshman year, and will graduate regardless of whether they have a 2.8 or a 3.5, all L&S CS majors had to apply to the major after finishing the lower division prerequisites, so people who already had low GPA's were filtered out.
That is all assuming GPA has an important correlation with salary in the CS world--a world that I am unfamiliar with.</p>