tech
There’s Never Been a Better Time to Study Computer Science
It’s a weird time to be studying computer science. Recent grads have a higher unemployment rate than those in just about every other major—yes, even philosophy. The internet is littered with rants from newly minted programmers who can’t find work. On one such YouTube video, the top comment reads: “Your first mistake is not being born earlier.” Students, meanwhile, are fleeing the field. Undergraduate enrollment in computer science dipped by more than 8 percent last year, representing the largest absolute decline across any major in several years. The falloff at the graduate level—14 percent—was even more severe.
TL;DR
- Computer science sees declining enrollment and higher recent grad unemployment, partly due to AI coding bots.
- Despite challenges, CS grads have low underemployment and high earnings compared to other majors.
- AI's impact necessitates a deeper understanding of computational systems, not just manual coding.
- Universities are adapting CS programs to focus on theory, AI specialization, or basic software development skills.
- The evolving field, while uncertain for entry-level coding, promises new opportunities for those with expertise in computational systems.