Phoebe Estep

Nowadays, it’s common to hear high schoolers confidently predict their futures. It’s a combination of entertaining and depressing to hear. They have it all planned out: the perfect relationship, three kids, a dog, and a house in the Hamptons—the true “American Dream.” Finally, and most importantly, the six-figure salaries needed to finance these big dreams will come right after earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science at a top-20 university. Obviously.

For many people, computer science appears synonymous with a one-way ticket to wealth. While extreme, this isn’t a crazy assumption to make. Following the creation of the first personal computer (PC) in 1971, the usefulness and popularity of PCs caused the computer science job market, as well as programmers’ salaries, to explode. Now, computers have become a standard part of our daily lives, and computer science has transformed from a quirky extension of mathematics into a promising, versatile, and ever-expanding field in its own right. 

However, recent data challenges what has been the norm for decades. Computer science graduates are currently the fifth most unemployed out of all majors, with the job outlook of programmers projected to decline by 6% over the next eight years. For STEM-focused schools like HSMSE, this shift is particularly relevant. Many students (myself included) have considered majoring in computer science at some point. These new statistics raise important concerns for many: Is this new job landscape permanent? What has changed? Is it still worth it to pursue the field? Most of these questions have deceiving, nuanced, or ambiguous answers, and the increasing uncertainty merits the halting of dreams about the Hamptons and the reviewing of today’s unfortunate reality. 

A large issue the computer science field is currently facing is the fact that it’s so popular. In the last 11 years, the number of computer science graduates has increased by over 140%, likely because of the aforementioned benefits that can come with the major. By contrast, software and tech companies have been consistently laying off thousands of people every year: Over 844,000 tech employees have been fired since 2020, with over 40,000 of the layoffs occurring in the past three months. These factors have made the job market oversaturated, making tech companies shy away from choosing employees solely on talent and instead rely on sortable factors. According to Fortune, the number of companies recruiting from a specific set of colleges has risen by almost 53% since 2022, making it hard for students who don’t attend prestigious universities to successfully break into the field.

On the other hand, another (more controversial) reason for this shift appears to be—surprise, surprise—the rise of AI. Matthew Hiller, an experienced software engineer at American Express, noted that the availability of AI is reducing the amount of tasks assigned to junior developers. “Now, there are all sorts of tools—ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude—that will, given a specified problem, write code for you,” he said. “Honestly, for simple problems, AI can do all right. But back in the day, that was the sort of work that a lot of entry-level employees were given because there weren’t other ways to do it.”

Estelle Duguet (’22), an HSMSE and University of Michigan alum with a degree in mathematics and computer science, also explained that the use of AI in entry-level jobs is raising the standard of what new grads are capable of. “Some companies are not offering new grad roles because they think that new grads can do more senior-level jobs with the help of AI, which is just not true,” she said. “We need to be trained. We need to know how the company works.” The competitiveness of the field has driven both high school and college students to pursue opportunities (internships, research, etc.) in the hopes of making their applications appear more impressive, a process that is incredibly draining for any major but especially computer science. For Duguet, that looked like applying to over 100 internships, landing three interviews, and receiving only one offer. Despite the extremely low yield rate, she described herself as “lucky.” 

“It’s really rough. When you’re in class, people are always willing to help, at least at UMich. Once it comes down to getting a job or internship, though, people immediately start to gatekeep. I guess you kind of have to do what you have to do to get your job,” she said. “The internship I did found me on LinkedIn and encouraged me to apply, but a lot of my friends had to apply to upwards of 200 or 300 internships to get one offer.”

So, why do students still pursue computer science after so many reports indicate that the field is struggling? Unfortunately, the hope of making it big still drives many students to pick the major even if they don’t like the subject at all. Fresh computer science graduates make an average of $107,000 right after earning their bachelor’s degree, a sticker price so high it entices many to drift away from their original passions in hopes of achieving financial stability. Whether or not that sacrifice is worth it is debatable; in today’s economy, wanting a high-paying job isn’t unreasonable. However, 32.1% of developers hate their jobs, and the intense work demanded by the tech industry often takes a significant toll on employees’ mental health and relationship with their family members. While it may be hard to understand why now, students need to discover their true interests organically to prevent midlife crises and unhappiness. 

What does this look like? Well, it depends on the individual. Duguet discovered her passion for computer science through her education and encourages HSMSE students to do the same. “I didn’t declare a major when I applied [to UMich], but I was thinking I would major in math. Taking AP Computer Science with Mr. Coulombe was what actually sparked my interest,” she said. “I knew coding was gonna play a really big role in jobs and careers later on, so I decided to take a couple of classes in my freshman year. Turns out, I loved it.” 

Isaac Kim (’27), who hopes to study computer science in college, also credits HSMSE—namely Digital Electronics and Python Programming—as a significant influence. “When I take the tech-adjacent classes offered here, everything just clicks for me in a very satisfying manner. I don’t think financials are something that will benefit me considering the current job market, but I feel like pursuing a job should really be about what you’re genuinely interested in anyway.”

Mr. Hiller had been using coding as a creative way to learn long before he considered studying the field in college. “It was in third grade that I decided to write a program that would help me practice for spelling tests,” he said. “My father saw what I was doing. He looked at my code and said, ‘Oh, Matt, this is kind of interesting, but here’s how you do it with a loop so you don’t have to write the same code 20 times.’ I was like, “Oh, this is kind of cool.” And then he said, ‘Yeah, and if you work through this book [Atari BASIC], you can learn even more things.’”

Ultimately, finding a subject that truly sparks interest isn’t easy, and it can take time to discover. However, degrees need to stop being measured based on projected wages and start being evaluated on fulfillment. When passion drives a student, obstacles can feel smaller, more manageable, and even become sources of pride once overcome. Even computer science, with all of its problems, can still be deeply rewarding—for those who recognize computer science as their true spark.