Computer science enrollments in US colleges drop for the first time in 20 years

A new study by Stanford economist Jacob Light found that computer science course enrollments in US colleges have dropped for the first time in about 20 years for the 2025-2026 school year. Undergraduate enrollment in computer and information science programs at four-year universities fell by 8.1% year-over-year, to about 606,000 students.

This change happened around the same time generative AI became widely available. Light noted that while AI tools can now write code and debug programs, there's no direct proof that AI caused the enrollment drop. Over the past decade, computer science was one of the most popular majors, with the number of graduates more than doubling.

Light suggested five possible reasons: a weaker job market for entry-level software engineers, uncertainty about the value of a CS degree in the AI era, lower academic preparedness among new students, changes in immigration policy, and competition from fields like data science. It's still unclear whether this is a short-term dip or a long-term shift.