Are you wondering why computer science is such a popular subject? Considering studying it yourself? We’ve collected together a bunch of top reasons to study computer science right here!
Updated: 15 Apr 2025
Computer science is a technology-heavy subject that looks at computers, their design, development and systems. It has become a massively popular subject at university, as computers have become essential to almost every business. The subject has a foundation in mathematics and information technology, and will develop into looking at hardware and software systems, technological expansions, electronics and more.
NEXT: Read more on what studying computer science at uni is like
We’ve put together a list of benefits of studying computer science, so you’ll have plenty of information to hand when it comes time to submit your uni application. Handy!
Computer science courses will provide you with countless opportunities to learn new, exciting and useful skills. For starters, you’ll be learning about programming languages that are relevant to today’s computing landscape, which naturally leads to learning about software and networking. These are vital skills for computer science specialists.
On top of that, modules on computer science courses will offer you the chance to develop your skills in working with robotics, AI, video games and more. Mastering the skills in these areas will be great for showing off to potential employers in those industries when it comes time to find work after uni.
You’ll also be able to gain a number of skills that could translate well into jobs outside of the computer science world, including the likes of project management, team building, communication and critical thinking.
Due to the importance of computer science in a huge number of industries and businesses, you’ll be well placed to find a rewarding career after receiving a degree in this subject. Not only that, but the Complete University Guide subject league tables suggest that computer science courses have particularly high graduate prospects, meaning there’s a good chance of being employed in or in further education six months after graduation.
Jobs that would benefit from a computer science degree include the likes of network engineer, systems analyst, IT consultant, games developer and more.
Computer science courses will vary from uni to uni, but you can always expect technology and computing to be the focus of the degree. The topics could end up studying will extend out from this, dipping into a number of fascinating areas.
Modules might look more in-depth at a variety programming languages, giving you options for how you program your projects. You might decide to focus more on the robotics side of things, bringing your knowledge of technology into the physical world. With the attention given to artificial intelligence in recent years, it’s also likely that you could explore this dynamic area more.
Computer science covers a wide range of interesting topics – it’s no wonder it’s becoming so popular!
There are over 100 universities across the UK offering courses in computer science, so you’ll have loads of choice when it comes to picking where to study. Will you stick closer to home, or head further afield? There are options for both!
If you need a hand finding what unis there are, we’ve got some useful resources for you. Firstly, you can explore universities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and then drill down to regions within to start finding where you might like to live.
You could also check out the Complete University Guide’s subject league table for computer science to see what unis ranked the highest. The three top ranked universities for this subject are...
We think taking a course in something you really like is a great idea. If you enjoy working with computers, learning about how they work and helping to push the world of technology forward, then going to uni to get a degree in computer science will sound like a dream.
NEXT: If this has piqued your fancy, you can start researching computer science courses right now!