U.S. fall undergraduate computer science enrollment falls more than 12%, graduate enrollment more than 10%
According to preliminary fall enrollment data released on Thursday by the National Student Clearinghouse, enrollment in U.S. college computer and information science programs fell significantly this semester: undergraduate programs fell by more than 12%, and graduate programs fell by more than 10%.
The decline deepened from the drop seen last year, reversing a trend of steady growth over the past several years. Bloomberg reported that the rise of artificial intelligence has made job hunting more difficult for computer science graduates in recent years, as companies cut a large number of entry-level programming jobs; an August report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics also showed that computer and mathematics jobs have been hit hardest by AI.
More broadly, total undergraduate enrollment this semester rose only 0.6%, a marked slowdown from last year’s 2.4% increase; graduate enrollment fell 1.6%, with master’s programs down 3.7%. Matthew Holsapple, senior director of research at the National Student Clearinghouse, said that these declines are striking for a field that until recently was one of the fastest-growing areas in higher education.
Original sources:
Title: Computer Science Degree Programs Lose Students as AI Takes Jobs Publisher: Bloomberg Publication date: 2026-10-29 URL: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-29/computer-science-degree-programs-lose-students-as-ai-takes-jobs Nature of source: media report Verification status: This reading used the article summary and public passages, and cross-checked related reports from Higher Ed Dive, Forbes, and others; verification date 2026-10-28 Supporting content: specific enrollment decline percentages, data source, and AI-related background
Title: Undergraduate enrollment inched up this fall, while master’s dips 3.7% Publisher: Higher Ed Dive Publication date: 2026-10-29 URL: https://www.highereddive.com/news/undergraduate-enrollment-inched-up-this-fall-while-masters-dips-37/873114/ Nature of source: media report Verification status: Full text read in this session Supporting content: 12.4% decline in four-year undergraduate computer science, Holsapple’s comments, and overall enrollment data
ABAB AI Insight
The data are preliminary and are based on 7.92 million enrollment records reported by colleges that had submitted data as of September 24, 2026, covering about 46% of institutions. Four-year undergraduate computer and information science enrollment fell by about 12.4%, two-year enrollment fell by about 12.3%, and graduate enrollment fell by about 10.4%. Over the past two years combined, undergraduate enrollment has fallen by about 18.4%, and graduate enrollment by about 27.1%.
This trend is in line with the recent rise in unemployment among computer science graduates. New York Fed data show that in 2024, unemployment rates for recent graduates in computer science and computer engineering reached 7% and 7.8%, respectively, well above the overall level. At the same time, enrollment in health and engineering programs has increased, showing that student demand is shifting away from traditional programming-oriented majors toward other fields.
The preliminary data do not include international student enrollment information. Holsapple said that after several years of strong growth, computer science began to reverse last fall, and this year’s decline is even more pronounced. Related reports link this to AI’s impact on entry-level coding jobs, but the data themselves do not directly prove causation.
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Enrollment in computer science programs has fallen significantly for two consecutive years after many years of rapid growth, contrasting with the slowdown in overall higher education enrollment.
The decline in entry-level programming jobs has coincided with lower enrollment in the major, while student demand is shifting from traditional computer science to fields such as health and engineering.