Surveying Theory of Computing Education in the United States

Abstract

We summarize the results of a 2024 survey of theory of computing (ToC) courses that received responses from 166 institutions of higher education in the United States [8]. Although our survey is far from comprehensive, it provides new information on many aspects of ToC in U.S. bachelor’s degree programs in computer science. We report on the most frequently covered topics in ToC courses as well as structural features such as typical prerequisites, section sizes, teaching modalities, and course staff.
In addition to summarizing survey results, we briefly discuss observed trends, suggest opportunities for future teaching and research, and conclude with a call for increased collaboration between American and European theoretical computer science educators.