<p>Programming is a fundamental tool for developing and applying computational thinking skills (CTS), which are closely linked to it and essential for individuals in the future. In this context, this study aims to model the variables associated with university students’ programming-oriented computational thinking skill (POCTS), with separate modeling for those experienced in scripting and programming languages. In this study, the correlational survey model was used and it was conducted with the participation of 426 university students. Personal information form, three different scales and semi-structured interview form were used as data collection tools. Data were analyzed by PLS-SEM and content analysis. As a result of the research, the relationships between CTS and academic self-efficacy, cognitive flexibility, academic achievement perception, extracurricular programming time and programming experience are significant. On the other hand, the direct effects of variables such as gender, department and education level are not statistically significant. It was observed that there were variations in the modeling in groups formed by the students who are experienced in programming languages and scripting languages. It was also found that personal variables did not affect all dimensions of POCTS. It was determined that both academic self-efficacy and cognitive flexibility significantly predict all dimensions of POCTS. However, cognitive flexibility demonstrated slightly stronger and more consistent effects across dimensions compared to academic self-efficacy.</p>