Computer science degrees may be losing their charm, but tech leaders aren’t worried

Like cable television, Labubu dolls, and kids shouting “6-7,” computer science degrees may be slowly but surely going out of style with college students. However, tech leaders aren’t too worried about how they will lure future employees just yet.

The popularity of computer science degrees, once viewed as a ticket to a high-paying job, has seemingly begun to falter in recent years. Late last year, a Computing Research Association pulse survey, based on respondents from 130 academic institutions, found enrollment in bachelor’s degree programs for computing fell 62% in the 2025–2026 school year from the previous year. Meanwhile, data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center found that enrollment in similar programs fell 3.6% at Planning Accreditation Board-accredited undergraduate institutions in Fall 2025.

Dave Lewis, 1Password’s global advisory CISO, told IT Brew the new hesitancy among students is driven by the rise of AI and its disruptions to the labor market.

“They’re a little bit reticent to get into comp sci because they don’t know that they’re actually going to have a career,” Lewis said.

What’s enrollment looking like these days? IT Brew reached out to top schools for computer science in 2025, as per US News & World Report’s ranking, to see if there were any notable changes in enrollment. The verdict was largely mixed on what student interest in computing degrees looks like at the moment.

A Carnegie Mellon University spokesperson declined to provide computer science major enrollment data to IT Brew, but asserted its numbers were “steady.” Janet Gilmore, a spokesperson for the University of California, Berkeley, said interest in computer science courses continues to be strong, “whether measured by application or enrollment data.”

Olufisayo Omojokun, associate dean for undergraduate education at Georgia Institute of Technology’s College of Computing, told IT Brew in an emailed statement that there was a 35% dip in new freshman enrollment in computer science between the 2022 and 2025 academic school year. However, he said, current enrollment in the major still remains large compared to the university’s other offerings.

Is the talent pipeline rusting? Lewis said a drop in interest in computer science degrees will likely have an impact on talent pipelines as students seeking a stable, profitable career reevaluate their options. While he believes this trend will correct itself down the line, how it will do so is yet to be determined.

Shanea Leven, CEO of AI service Empromptu AI, shared similar thoughts. She predicted the next wave of talent in the industry will be individuals with basic computer science knowledge who leverage AI. She added that industry professionals are doing their part to bridge this tech talent crisis.

“You’re seeing experts going to consulting to teach people how to fill the skills gap,” Leven said. “So, whether or not, you know, we’re up in arms today, I think that we’ll fill in the gaps like that will happen. I don’t know how exactly, but it will happen.”

Joint effort. In order to help computer science remain a desirable degree path, Lewis suggests thought leaders in the industry refrain from bashing the traditional higher-education route to break into the industry.

“Quite honestly, deriding education is a fool’s errand, and the more education, the better,” he said.

Omojokun added the industry should help reshape students’ understanding of the career opportunities a degree in computer science can bring: “Reframing [computer science] as a license for complex problem‑solving, rather than a pipeline to a single job title (i.e., SWE), helps students see the degree as versatile and future‑proof.”