Student enrolment in US computer science programmes falls as AI takes jobs

Undergraduate computer science enrolment fell over 12% and postgraduate numbers more than 10% this autumn, with declines over two years reaching 18.4% and 27.1%, respectively

By Elizabeth Rembert

 

Computer and information science departments at US colleges saw an exodus of students this fall, with enrolment declining more than 12 per cent for undergraduate programs and more than 10 per cent for graduate programs. 

The losses build on last year’s drop, which reversed years of growth for computer science programs, according to preliminary fall enrolment data from the National Student Clearinghouse released Thursday.

 

Artificial intelligence’s rise has made it more difficult for computer science graduates to find jobs in recent years, as companies eliminate many entry-level coding roles. In August, a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that computer and mathematics jobs would feel the most impact from AI. 

 

 

In just two years, computer science undergraduate programs have lost 18.4 per cent of their students, while graduate programs have lost 27.1 per cent.

 

“Those are just remarkable declines for a field that until recently was one of the fastest growing areas that we’d seen in higher education,” said Matthew Holsapple, the National Student Clearinghouse’s senior director of research. 

 

More broadly, undergraduate enrolment at US universities flattened this fall. Headcount rose by 0.6 per cent, marking a fourth year of growth but a slowdown from the 2.4 per cent increase in fall 2025. Graduate program enrolment fell by 1.6 per cent, driven by a 3.7 per cent loss in master’s programs. 

 

Preliminary data from the National Student Clearinghouse does not include information on international student enrolment, which has been a target of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. New foreign student enrolment fell by 17 per cent for fall 2025, according to analysis by JB International and NAFSA, a US international education group.

 

The final report expected in January will include numbers on international student enrolment, but early signs suggest continued losses. College applications from abroad fell by about 10 per cent this year, the biggest decline in at least a decade, according to the Common App.

 

Community colleges are the only bright spot. The schools notched a 1.2 per cent bump in undergraduate enrolment, according to the National Student Clearinghouse report. 

 

“Students are identifying pathways that are right for them beyond the traditional pathway,” Holsapple said. “And I think affordability is almost certainly one important piece of that.”