Computer science undergraduate enrollment experienced its largest one-year decline since 2020, falling by 54,000 students in 2025 as students shifted toward specialized engineering and data-focused degree programs.

Key Points

• Computer science dropped from the fourth to the sixth most popular undergraduate major in the United States during 2025.
• National Student Clearinghouse data shows an 8 percent decline in computer science majors alongside a 7.3 percent increase in engineering enrollment.
• Mechanical and electrical engineering saw significant growth, with enrollment figures rising by 11 percent and 14 percent, respectively.
• Combined enrollment in data science and data analytics majors surpassed 35,000 students in fall 2025, up from only a few hundred in 2020.
• The shift reflects a broader trend of universities creating specialized interdisciplinary degrees in fields like AI, robotics, and cybersecurity.

Why it Matters

This shift suggests that students are not abandoning technology-focused careers but are instead migrating toward more specialized, interdisciplinary degree programs. As universities continue to fragment traditional computer science curricula, employers may need to adjust their recruitment strategies to account for a more diverse range of technical degree titles.