Marketplace All-in-One Fewer students are enrolling in computer science classes and majors
Feb 17, 2026
Kari George, Senior Research Associate at the Computing Research Association's Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline, explains shifting computing enrollment trends. She discusses drops in CS and software engineering, growth in computer engineering and AI-related majors, the role of international student declines, and how worries about AI are reshaping students' choices.
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Shift From General CS To Applied Fields
- Enrollment in computing is declining overall but varies by subdiscipline, with CS and software engineering down.
- Students are shifting toward applied areas like data science, cybersecurity, AI, and computer engineering.
AI Fears Are Shaping Major Choices
- Students worry AI will reduce software jobs and they follow labor-market headlines closely.
- Department chairs link these fears to falling software engineering enrollments.
Fewer International Students Affects Numbers
- International student declines contributed to lower computing enrollments, especially at graduate level.
- Visa delays and immigration policy changes were cited by many departments as factors.