Introduction to Data Science
Covers the foundational concepts of data analysis, including data collection, cleaning, and visualization.
Difficulty
Moderately challenging
Students rate Data Science 3.3/5 for difficulty across 15 ratings.
Average difficultyBased on 15 students across 6 schools.View review makeup
3.3/ 5
Share of students at each rating
Class-year breakdown needs more responses.It appears after at least two class years have 5 difficulty ratings each.
What makes this major demanding?
Worth it?
93% would recommend it
Based on 15 reviews across 6 schools
What students say about the payoff
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Curriculum and careers
Data Science focuses on extracting insights and knowledge from complex data sets using statistical methods, machine learning, and computational tools. Students learn to analyze large volumes of data, create predictive models, and communicate their findings effectively.
Core course themes
Statistical Methods
Explores statistical theories and techniques essential for data analysis and interpretation.
Machine Learning
Focuses on algorithms that allow computers to learn from and make predictions based on data.
Data Visualization
Teaches the skills needed to represent data visually, emphasizing clarity and impactful storytelling.
Big Data Technologies
Introduces tools and techniques for managing and processing large-scale data sets.
Database Management
Examines the principles of database systems and their application in data science.
Common roles
- Data Analyst
- Data Scientist
- Machine Learning Engineer
- Business Intelligence Analyst
- Data Engineer
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Data Science by school
Scores account for sample sizePreparing school differences…
University of California-Berkeley4 reviews
- Career outlook
- 3.4
- Enjoyment
- 3.6
- Recommend
- 88%
University of California-Los Angeles3 reviews
- Career outlook
- 3.7
- Enjoyment
- 3.5
- Recommend
- 95%
University of Washington-Seattle Campus3 reviews
- Career outlook
- 3.6
- Enjoyment
- 3.7
- Recommend
- 95%
University of California-San Diego2 reviews
- Career outlook
- 3.6
- Enjoyment
- 3.5
- Recommend
- 94%
University of Florida2 reviews
- Career outlook
- 3.7
- Enjoyment
- 3.7
- Recommend
- 94%
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign1 review
- Career outlook
- 3.6
- Enjoyment
- 3.6
- Recommend
- 94%
Community
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Student reviews
PositiveCourses & teaching
It will take several years to learn math and statistics including linear algebra, probability theory, inference, stochastic modeling. Then you can start with ML,DL,LLM,etc.
Jul 2025
PositiveSupport & community
The major has extensive support from both faculty and student organizations. The Data Science student organization (Data Science & Informatics) at the University of Florida is among the biggest communities in the nation and has supported hundreds of students.
Apr 2026
PositiveSupport & community
Data Science was extremely interesting and the people were always very friendly and helpful at the University of Florida. There are not that many Data Science majors compared to CS, so it felt like a very close community, especially with clubs like Data Science & Informatics.
Apr 2026
PositiveEnjoyment & fit
I love data science and all its applications, especially in computing or other related fields but the theory behind the heavier statistics concepts can be a little hard to understand.
Apr 2026
CriticalCareers & next steps
I'm an Informatics major at the University of Washington with a concentration in data science. I would not recommend pursuing informatics unless you are very self driven and already know what you're doing. Data science is a saturated field with limited job prospects. I have switched to software engineering and pursue data science for fun.
Apr 2026
PositiveSupport & community
It’s pretty cool. Awesome faculty and a great community. A little bit R focused than python but it’s easy to pick up
Apr 2026
PositiveEnjoyment & fit
Data science can be a really broad term and extend into a lot of areas of life, theres a place for it if you have some strong domain interest or like working with data.
Apr 2026
PositiveEnjoyment & fit
Data Science is fun where we get to solve the real world problems using data science/analysis techniques. It’s relevant to our community and is rewarding after graduation.
Oct 2025
PositiveEnjoyment & fit
I like using data to build predictive models and discover patterns in data
Apr 2026
MixedEnjoyment & fit
What draws me most to data science is how it turns abstract ideas into something tangible and actionable. I’ve always been curious about patterns—why things happen the way they do—and data science gives me the tools to actually investigate those questions instead of just wondering about them. Through my coursework and projects, I’ve come to see data science not just as coding or statistics, but as a way of thinking. It’s about asking the right questions, being skeptical of easy answers, and understanding the story behind the numbers. Whether I’m working with datasets in Python or analyzing real-world problems, I find it rewarding to move from messy, unstructured information to something meaningful that can inform decisions.
Apr 2026
PositiveEnjoyment & fit
It was a very rewarding yet tough program! I would definitely recommend it to others interested in Tech fields
Apr 2026
PositiveCareers & next steps
teaches you a lot of skills that opens up different paths for the future
Apr 2026
MixedCareers & next steps
I am a grad student at university of california san diego not ug
Apr 2026
PositiveEnjoyment & fit
I want to say that its great! IT is seriously overlooked bya lot of people.
Apr 2026
PositiveCourses & teaching
It’s amazing and it’s good and you’ll learn a lot about data science.
Apr 2026
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