Converging Paths in Divergent Systems: A Comparative Analysis of Data Science Education Strategies in China and the United States

This research-to-practice full paper compares data science education strategies in China and the United States, exploring whether different approaches can achieve similar educational outcomes. In the U.S., data science programs are typically developed by individual schools to meet labor market demands, integrating data science as an interdisciplinary subject. In contrast, Chinese universities follow a uniform plan set by the education department, resulting in specialized fields like ‘Big Data Management and Application’ and ‘Data Science and Big Data Technology.’ This research collected data on course offerings and university rankings in China and the U.S., analyzing curriculum content and program characteristics. Major findings indicate that in the U.S., Data Science and Business Analytics programs focus on technical skills and are primarily found in top-ranking universities, while in China, Data Science and Big Data Management programs emphasize management and are more widely distributed across different ranking groups. Despite these differences, both countries show similar geographic concentration patterns in data science programs. The study concludes that China and the U.S. adopt different educational strategies but achieve comparable effectiveness in data science education.