Amazon donates $3M to Seattle-area colleges to support computer science degrees – GeekWire

Amazon is donating $3 million to Seattle-location schools to bolster their computer science programs.

Bellevue College, positioned east of Seattle, will obtain $1.5 million over a few several years to support its bachelor’s of science in personal computer science. There are 155 undergraduates at the moment enrolled in the degree plan, which released in 2017. The gift will raise financial help for enrolled learners and college outreach to K-12 pupils.

The Seattle School Basis will also acquire $1.5 million to support fund its newly released bachelor’s of arts in laptop science. This drop, North Seattle Faculty admitted its very first class of 20 college students pursuing the degree.

Amazon beforehand donated $1 million towards the work, which aided fund the hiring and education of a lead school member.

“At Amazon, we know the great importance of obtain to personal computer science education and learning. This financial investment will enable get rid of barriers traditionally underneath-resourced populations have confronted and provide greater prospect for regional pupils to go after careers in the technological know-how sector,” explained Victor Reinoso, global director of Amazon’s philanthropic education and learning initiatives, in asserting the Seattle College or university Foundation present.

The schools receiving funding from Amazon present a fewer expensive route to tech degrees in comparison to universities and ordinarily reach a additional racially and ethnically varied student system.

Personal computer science levels are in substantial demand from college students in Washington condition. The nationally ranked Paul G. Allen College of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington accepts about 7% of the immediate candidates to its undergraduate method. The UW department campuses and other universities also provide well-known laptop or computer science degree applications.

Bellevue University is the only Washington university so far to supply a bachelor’s of science in the industry. Tuition at the schools is substantially fewer, in basic, than at the universities. The once-a-year in-point out tuition and fees for a personal computer science university student at Bellevue Higher education is $7,266 in comparison to $12,076 per yr at the UW.

Educators hope the demand from customers for computer system science degrees to continue on rising, driven in element by high wages and employment alternatives.

Washington condition has 333,000 tech work, which include roles requiring tech competencies and a wide range of employment at tech providers, in accordance to a 2022 report from the Computing Technology Industry Affiliation (CompTIA). Staff specifically in tech roles experienced a median income of $124,653 — an cash flow 147% greater than the condition median.