Most Popular American Universities That Offer Master's Degree in Data Science and Business Analytics

Almost all industries have data associated with them, from small to large-scale transactions, economic, to weather patterns. So it's safe to say that in the haystack of data we are the thread. It's all over the place and clearly data is the ruler of the new world.

Today, bits and bytes are encoded in our lives. And it's not just your record of surfing or your behavior in social media - including your shopping or travel habits, what games you're playing, what shows you're watching, or pretty much anything that can produce information. It's not limited to your social habits alone.

This data overdrive has taken some technological finesse to tackle since the late 1990s. A huge amount of data, or popularly known as Big Data, is so vast that it may fall short of mere database handling resources. Data is a currency, as long as interest can be found in it.

Tapping this wealth has become a necessity and the use of cloud computing and technology resources like Hadoop has made it possible for large tech companies like Amazon, Google, and more. The essence of big data analysis has moved from a data pulling algorithm to applying algorithms to data instead, often used is the computing model called Map Reduce.

Many massive analytical methods, with simpler interfaces, are also available to allow the study of big data. Some of these may have been discussed in tech circles, such as machine learning, complex event processing, among others.

All of these analytical tools require some serious mathematical skills and training. Very obviously, these changing times, guided by a growing need for data storage and use, gave birth to a new professional group - a new set of professionals who call themselves data scientists.

These people have great mathematics skills; very good statistical logic and experience in coding to produce something actually concrete and realistic for business use. The area of data-driven science is interdisciplinary, drawing people from all kinds of backgrounds in science, computational technology, and advanced math.

According to Payscale, the average entry level wages are $90k a year in this industry. It's now named as "the 21st century's sexiest job." A recent IBM study has predicted that data science jobs will grow rapidly by 2020, with 2.7 million new data scientists and analytics positions opening up each year.

Many current data scientists lack a master's degree in data science and business analytics. The most widely accepted method of learning is to use online education and courses offered by Coursera, Udemy, or through self-study and actual experience.

So we have compiled a list of schools and universities that offer a master's degree in this field. You may visit their official websites or contact the school's administrator directly if you are inclined to work as a data scientist or business analyst.

List of the most popular universities in the US for Data Science and Business Analytics:

1. Stanford University

Department: Statistics School of Humanities and Sciences

Degree: MS in Statistics: Data Science

Application Fee: $125

2. Columbia University - New York

Department: Engineering

Degree: Master of Science in Data Science

Application Fee: $85

3. University of California - Berkeley

Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Degree: Master of Engineering with concentration in Data Science and Systems

Application Fee: $105

4. University of Southern California

Department: Viterbi School of Engineering

Degree: Master of Science in Computer Science with Specialization in Data Science

Application Fee: $90

5. Georgetown University

Department: Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Degree: Master of Science in Analytics Concentration in Data Science

Application Fee: $90

6. University of Chicago

Department: Graham School

Degree: Master of Science in Analytics

Application Fee: $75

7. Indiana University Bloomington

Department: School of Informatics and Computing

Degree: MS in Data Science

Application Fee: $65

8. Louisiana State University

Department: E J Ourso College of Business

Degree: Master of Science in Analytics

Application Fee: $70

9. University of Massachusetts Amherst

Department: College of Information and Computer Sciences

Degree: Master in Computer Science Concentration in Data Science

Application Fee: $75

10. New York University

Department: The Centre for Data Science

Degree: Master of Science in Data Science

Application Fee: $100