Universities in the U.S. are facing an unexpected outflow of students from computer science departments. According to UC statistics, the number of incoming students fell by 6% last year and by 3% in 2024. This trend is occurring against the backdrop of an overall increase in college enrollment by 2%. An exception is the campus in San Diego, which managed to maintain its enrollment by creating a new program in artificial intelligence.
Experts believe this does not indicate a complete rejection of technology, but rather a shift in focus to more promising fields. A survey by the Computing Research Association showed that 62% of departments reported a decline in interest in basic programming. At the same time, institutions such as Columbia University and the University of Southern California are seeing a sharp increase in interest in programs related to neural networks. For example, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the AI program has become the second most popular, while the University of South Florida enrolled over 3,000 students in its new specialized college in just one semester.
The shift in educational priorities is influenced by external factors, including China's successes in integrating the study of neural networks into its curricula. American universities are forced to adapt, despite internal disagreements. The chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Lee Roberts, emphasized the existence of serious contradictions within the academic community. The administration insists on implementing new technologies for students' future careers, while some faculty members continue to ignore these changes.
Families of prospective students also play an important role in this process. According to statistics, parents are increasingly discouraging their children from pursuing traditional computer science degrees in light of the automation of programming code using AI, advising them to choose more reliable engineering specialties or programs in artificial intelligence.
