Computer science boom peaks as students rethink tech careers
US students are moving away from computer science as tech hiring slows and engineering salary premiums rise.
The long-running surge in computer science enrolments in US universities appears to have peaked, as students respond to weaker technology hiring, narrowing salary advantages and uncertainty over AI’s impact on entry-level coding jobs.
New analysis of student profile data from Revelio Labs suggests the class of 2026 will mark the high point for computer science participation before enrolments begin to fall among younger cohorts. At the same time, subjects including mechanical engineering, industrial engineering and finance are gaining momentum.
Computer science majors accounted for almost 11% of student profiles in the class of 2026 before declining among students graduating in later years. Mechanical and industrial engineering, which had remained relatively stable for years, are approaching 7% among the class of 2029. Finance has continued to grow and now attracts a larger share of students than computer science.
The shift follows a decade in which computer science was widely viewed as the safest route into a high-paying graduate career. Large technology firms competed heavily for engineering talent, driving up starting salaries and fuelling rapid growth in university enrolments.
That pay advantage is now narrowing.
The analysis found that computer science graduates in 2016 earned around $19,000 more than mechanical engineering graduates from the same university. By 2024, the difference had dropped to less than $10,000.
Researchers argue that changing market conditions, rather than the value of the degree itself, are behind the trend. Higher interest rates since 2022 have slowed hiring across the technology sector, while industry layoffs have increased competition for graduate roles. The arrival of generative AI tools has also raised fresh questions about the future of entry-level coding work.
One of the more striking findings is where the decline is happening fastest.
Top-ranked computer science programmes saw the sharpest falls in student share, while lower-ranked programmes remained comparatively stable. The rankings were based on how successfully universities placed graduates into high-paying technology roles between 2016 and 2025.
The report also identified a wider relationship between salary premiums and student demand. Subjects whose graduates saw rising earnings relative to their peers generally increased their share of students between 2020 and 2024. Subjects with weakening premiums tended to lose ground.
Software-related disciplines including IT, software engineering, cybersecurity and data science all recorded declines alongside computer science, although computer science remains by far the largest field in the group.
The findings point to a broader recalibration in how students view technology careers.
For years, the labour market signalled that software skills offered exceptional returns. That signal has weakened and students appear to be responding quickly. Engineering disciplines linked to infrastructure, manufacturing and robotics are attracting renewed interest, alongside finance and economics.
Computer science remains one of the largest and best-paid degree subjects in the US. The data suggests a cooling after years of exceptional expansion rather than a collapse. Even so, the shift could have implications for employers, universities and workplace learning providers planning for future demand in digital and technical skills.