Computer science enrollment fell for the first time in 20 years after ChatGPT's rise, a Stanford economist says
A Stanford economist reports that computer science enrollment in US colleges declined in 2025 for the first time in two decades. While the drop coincides with the rise of generative AI, researchers caution that a direct causal link has not been proven.
Why it matters
This trend suggests a potential shift in how students perceive the long-term career value of traditional computer science degrees in an era of automated coding.
Computer science's two-decade boom may have reached a turning point in the age of AI. Bloomberg/Getty Images A Stanford economist says computer science enrollment fell for the first time in roughly two decades. Jacob Light's study links the slowdown to AI's rise, but stops short of saying ChatGPT caused it. National data also show computer science enrollment fell in 2025 after years of rapid growth. The explosive rise of ChatGPT may coincide with a turning point for one of America's fastest-growing college subjects. Computer science enrollment declined during the 2025-26 academic year for the first time in roughly two decades, according to new research by Jacob Light, an economist at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in