After nearly two decades of nonstop growth, computer science is shrinking on American campuses. National enrollment data, department surveys and the University of California all point the same way: fewer students are choosing a traditional CS degree. They are not leaving tech, though. Many are moving into artificial intelligence, data science and hands on engineering majors that feel safer in an AI driven job market.
What the numbers show
The clearest national picture comes from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, which tracks enrollment at nearly every US college. Its fall 2025 data showed computer and information science enrollment falling at every award level and every type of institution, even as total college enrollment grew by about 1 percent. Graduate enrollment in the field dropped even harder, down 14 percent to roughly 190,000 students.
The slide continued into spring 2026. Undergraduate computer science enrollment fell 8.4 percent at four year schools and 11.2 percent at community colleges, while overall undergraduate enrollment rose 1.3 percent. The Clearinghouse also found that computer science had the lowest rate of students returning for a second year among the ten most popular bachelor’s majors, at 85 percent, compared with 93.1 percent for engineering.
Undergraduate CS at four year colleges, fall 2025.
New CS majors at departments in the CRA Taulbee Survey.
Computing departments reporting lower bachelor’s enrollment in fall 2025.
Students in data science and analytics programs, fall 2025.
The Computing Research Association, whose members include university computing departments, sees the same trend from the inside. In its pulse survey taken in late summer 2025, 62 percent of 134 responding departments reported lower bachelor’s enrollment than the year before. Its 2025 Taulbee Survey, released in mid 2026, counted 33,490 new bachelor’s majors at reporting departments, down 13 percent, and total undergraduate CS enrollment down 4 percent. Degrees awarded hit a record, but that reflects students admitted years ago, and the association expects graduations to level off and then decline.
The University of California as an early signal
California’s public university system shows the shift clearly. Across the UC campuses, about 12,652 undergraduates were majoring in computer science in fall 2025, down 6 percent from a year earlier and 9 percent over two years. It is the first sustained decline since the dot com bust, although the total is still close to double what it was a decade ago.
The exception was UC San Diego, which launched the first undergraduate AI major in California. About one in five applications to its computer science department over the past two years went to the new AI program. At UC Berkeley, overall CS numbers have plateaued while its data science major keeps growing.
Why students are walking away from CS
- Fear of AI automation. Students and parents worry that AI coding tools will absorb much of the routine programming work that used to fill entry level jobs. Department leaders cite this as a top reason.
- A tougher job market for new grads. Years of tech layoffs and fewer junior openings have made the old promise of a guaranteed six figure job feel shaky. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York put unemployment for all recent college graduates at about 5.6 percent in the second quarter of 2026, with underemployment at 42 percent.
- Fewer international students. Computing departments reported fewer international undergraduates, along with visa processing delays and immigration policy changes.
- A pull toward physical engineering. Some students see building hardware and machines as harder to automate than writing software.
Where students are going instead
| Field | Recent trend | Why it appeals |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial intelligence | New majors opening across the country | Builds the tools rather than competing with them |
| Data science and analytics | Nearly 80,000 students in fall 2025, growing at both levels | Statistics plus coding, useful in almost any industry |
| Engineering | Undergraduate growth at every institution type | Hands on work seen as harder to automate |
| Cybersecurity | Growth reported by computing departments | Clear job demand and specialized training |
| Health professions | Significant enrollment gains in spring 2026 | Stable demand and in person work |
AI degrees are spreading fast. Carnegie Mellon launched what it calls the nation’s first bachelor’s degree in AI back in 2018, and schools such as UC San Diego and Northwestern now offer undergraduate AI majors too. Many of these programs still teach a heavy dose of programming, math and systems, so the line between AI and computer science is often thinner than the names suggest.
What about fall 2026?
As of mid October 2026, there is no national count for this fall. The Clearinghouse released its fall 2025 figures in February 2026, so comparable fall 2026 numbers will likely arrive early next year. Until then, the spring 2026 drop is the most recent national signal, and it points to a trend that is continuing rather than reversing.
FAQ
Is computer science enrollment really declining?
Yes. National Clearinghouse data shows declines in fall 2025 and spring 2026, and most computing departments surveyed by the Computing Research Association reported fewer bachelor’s students.
Is a computer science degree still worth it?
It can be. Record numbers of CS graduates are entering a tighter market, but programming, systems and math skills remain the base for AI, security and data work. Internships and real projects matter more than ever.
Which majors are gaining students?
Data science and analytics, engineering, cybersecurity and new AI programs are growing, along with health professions.
The verdict
The computer science boom has turned into a migration rather than an exodus. Students still want to work with technology, but they are betting on AI, data and engineering instead of a general CS degree, and universities are racing to keep up. Expect the fall 2026 numbers to confirm the shift.
Updated October 2026: rewritten with National Student Clearinghouse data for fall 2025 and spring 2026, Computing Research Association surveys and University of California figures.
Featured photo: Miguel Henriques on Unsplash.
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