In the age of AI, is math the new CS degree?

Majoring in computer science used to be considered a safe career bet, ensuring stable pay and work. After the 2008 recession, many students turned to the field’s promising outlook: Between 2008 and 2024, the number of computer science degrees grew by almost 500%, according to The Washington Post. During this period, computer science was the third-most-popular major behind nursing and psychology, making up almost 5% of early-career college graduates. But the underemployment rate for CS graduates is 19%, according to 2024 Federal Reserve Bank of New York data. Recent tech layoffs across companies like Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft make the field look even less appealing. College students are taking note: A National Student Clearinghouse Research Center survey shows that undergraduate students enrolling in CS programs has dipped by 8.4%. In a viral February X post, tech entrepreneur and engineer Matt Shumer told readers that he is “no longer needed for the actual technical work of [his] job.” He said some of the industry’s best engineers are already handing their coding work to artificial intelligence. In an attempt to pivot, universities like Carnegie Mellon, MIT, and Northwestern hav…