Comment by scott00 | Hacker News Reader

Top New Best Ask Show Jobs

Comment by scott00 | Hacker News Reader

Some statistics helpful to put the numbers in the article in context:

* Percent of San Francisco MSA that is black: 7.9%

* Percent of Atlanta MSA that is black: 32.8%

* Percent of college graduates that are black: 10.0%

* Percent of CS college graduates that are black: 11.5%

* Percent of engineering graduates that are black: 4.45%

Sources:

http://www.directemployers.org/2012/08/16/the-college-class-...

http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/CP...

> * Percent of CS college graduates that are black: 11.5%

The number I got for 2015 was 2.5% (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12101868)

One of the key sources of this difference is whether you count "Information" degrees as CS. My number doesn't include information degrees and yours does.

That's definitely an interesting difference. Do you think excluding Information degrees results in a more relevant number? If so, why?

People with CS degrees tend to be the ones building new software. Information degrees vary a lot, but tend to have decreased math requirements and be more focused on the application of technology. As a software engineer working in the bay area, I have seen hundreds of engineers with CS degrees and zero engineers with information degrees - in my experience there is a stark difference, and I would be surprised and interested if the data showed otherwise.

Just to add an anecdote, Most of the companies I've worked for screen out non CS degree's except for exceptional portfolios. Not sure how wide spread this is.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com