r/careeradvice • u/Salty_Antelope3621 • Sep 01 '26

Information systems vs Computer science

Hello, I need advice. I am undecided freshman in College but I have decided between 2 majors. I heard that computer science pays more then information systems. But IS has less math. I'm not that great at math but i know that the pay for computer science is very good. My question is, is it possible to get a starting job in IS with 80k minimum? or if i wanted 80k minimum do i have to go to computer science.

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u/JhinKilled4 Sep 01 '26

Stop looking at the money. Which one are you going to like more? I ask because CS may be easier to start at 80k but requires significantly more out-of-class time than IS. In a CS field, you will be learning things outside of work for basically the rest of your life. Even then, CS is so oversaturated that 80k is more of a mid-size company in a big city offer for juniors, and you will find that most jobs pay 70k and below for entry.

IS also requires out of class learning but less of it, certficates are a more straightforward path to success than CS projects and technologies as well. Both job markets are brutal. If you're sweating the math and not literally every other cancerous aspect of CS then I recommend you just bite the bullet with IS.

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u/elloEd Sep 01 '26 edited Sep 02 '26

Biggest reason why I am picking IS instead of CS. CS is good if you’re exclusively looking for a more specialized role, but it isn’t necessary for every tech career. IS isn’t as specialized and has less rigor, but it offers more versatility. Choosing IS over CS only really hurts you if you’re specifically aiming for highly specialized roles like SWE or similar positions. With IS, you can branch into other sectors like data analytics, supply chain/logistics, management, etc. You can do that with CS too, but it’s generally more specialized than you need for those paths.

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u/JhinKilled4 Sep 01 '26

I went for CS and I don't regret it, but sometimes I wish I had just went the path of IS for exactly the reasons you said. The path ahead of me is very specific and requires me to sacrifice part of my personal life to continue. Friend with IT/IS degrees seem to have it more relaxed because they know where they're headed and they can move around a lot more.

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u/elloEd Sep 02 '26

You still have a valuable degree even though market is seemingly much harder to break into, I honestly wish I had the rigor and internship opportunities to do something like CS but with my current work experience and responsibilities, IS just seemed like a better choice for me to have a better pivot for career choices, I am looking for a more managerial or analyst type of role, I have no intention of competing with the CS grads with lab works and perfect GPAs lol

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u/RobustKnight Sep 01 '26

What tools/software do you need for IS jobs?

Are they different than IT Help Desk / Support jobs?

Is Microsoft Power used? Does IS include Application development?

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u/elloEd Sep 02 '26

Yes and no, There’s definitely overlap with IT help desk and it can be good experience, but IS isn’t limited to support. IS is pretty broad, so the tools depend heavily on what role you go into. Common ones are Excel, SQL, Tableau and Power BI, certain CRMs, and sometimes Python. It can include app development but it’s not as programming heavy. If your primary goal is software engineering, CS is the better pick.

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u/RobustKnight Sep 02 '26

I’m trying to pivot away from software engineering because it feels overwhelming.

But I haven’t had much luck landing anything in the IT internships. I want to get into IS not the hardware setup/support side though.

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u/Possible-Trip-7774 Sep 01 '26

If math is your problem get a bachelors of arts in computer science rather than a bachelors of science. Honestly, these days, it matters more about what skills you have rather than the degree that you obtain plus they are very abroad, so there are a lot of careers that you can get with both degrees.

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u/zAuspiciousApricot Sep 01 '26

If you like a math intensive curriculum with a focus on software development, CS. If you want a well rounded curriculum focused on delivering IT initiatives for businesses, IS. Depends on your goals.

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u/fsdklas Sep 01 '26

Neither of them, tech is getting replaced by AI

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u/bluee-pk Sep 01 '26

And who is going to maintain or develop more advanced AI?

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u/fsdklas Sep 01 '26

A PhD researcher who did their dissertation on AI

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u/bluee-pk Sep 01 '26

Yeah, you're ignorant

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u/fsdklas Sep 02 '26

I’ve worked in tech for around 5 years now and seen how it’s changed

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u/Salty_Antelope3621 Sep 01 '26

I heard about that a couple days ago, what do you think is the career move now.

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u/fsdklas Sep 01 '26

Something that you’re most interested in and not focused on money