Computer Science Is Dying. AI Majors Are Taking Over.

The 6% That Changed Everything

Something unprecedented happened at University of California campuses this fall. For the first time since the dot-com crash, computer science enrollment dropped—6% this year, following a 3% decline in 2024. This happened while overall college enrollment climbed 2% nationally.

One campus bucked the trend: UC San Diego, the only UC school that launched a dedicated AI major this fall. Coincidence? Hardly.

China Already Has the Answer

While American universities debate, Chinese institutions have made their choice. They treat AI not as a threat but as essential infrastructure. Nearly 60% of Chinese students and faculty use AI tools multiple times daily. Zhejiang University made AI coursework mandatory. Tsinghua created entirely new interdisciplinary AI colleges.

In China, AI fluency isn't optional—it's table stakes.

The American Scramble

U.S. universities are racing to catch up. MIT's "AI and decision-making" major is now the second-largest on campus. The University of South Florida enrolled over 3,000 students in its new AI and cybersecurity college this fall. The University at Buffalo's "AI and Society" department received 200+ applications before opening its doors.

But the transition isn't smooth everywhere.

Faculty Resistance Meets Reality

UNC Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee Roberts doesn't mince words. Some faculty are "leaning forward" with AI, while others have "their heads in the sand." The former finance executive is pushing AI integration despite faculty pushback.

"No one's going to tell students after graduation, 'Do your best, but if you use AI, you'll be in trouble,'" Roberts told me. "Yet we have faculty members effectively saying that right now."

Parents Play Defense, Students Play Offense

David Reynaldo from College Zoom consultancy notices a fascinating split. Parents who once pushed kids toward CS are now steering them toward majors that seem more resistant to AI automation—mechanical and electrical engineering.

But students are voting with their feet differently. A Computing Research Association survey found 62% of computing programs saw undergraduate enrollment declines. Yet AI programs are exploding.

USC, Columbia, Pace, New Mexico State—the list of universities launching AI degrees this fall keeps growing.

Migration, Not Exodus

This isn't students abandoning tech. It's a calculated migration toward programs focused on AI instead of traditional computer science. The numbers tell the story: while CS shrinks, AI-specific majors balloon.