A Popular College Major Has One of the Highest Unemployment Rates

Despite routinely ranking as one of the most popular majors for college students and recent graduates, computer science has one of the highest unemployment rates across all areas of study.

Computer science ranked seventh amongst undergraduate majors with the highest unemployment at 6.1 percent, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

"Every kid with a laptop thinks they're the next Zuckerberg, but most can't debug their way out of a paper bag," one expert told Newsweek.

Why It Matters

In recent years, demand for computer science majors grew as a result of the tech boom during the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, as major companies like Amazon and Google have laid off thousands of workers to boost profits, the major has lost some of its appeal in the job market.

New York University graduates celebrate during commencement ceremonies in Washington Square Park May 10, 2007, in New York City. Mario Tama/Getty Images

What To Know

Despite computer science being ranked as number one by the Princeton Review for college majors, the tech industry may not be living up to graduates' expectations.

When it came to undergraduate majors with the highest unemployment rates, computer science came in at number seven, even amid its relative popularity.

The major saw an unemployment rate of 6.1 percent, just under those top majors like physics and anthropology, which had rates of 7.8 and 9.4 percent respectively.

Computer engineering, which at many schools is the same as computer science, had a 7.5 percent unemployment rate, calling into question the job market many computer science graduates are entering.

On the other hand, majors like nutrition sciences, construction services and civil engineering had some of the lowest unemployment rates, hovering between 1 percent to as low as 0.4 percent.

This data was based on The New York Fed's report, which looked at Census data from 2023 and unemployment rates of recent college graduates.

Unemployment among recent graduates more broadly is increasing, with the number of Gen Z households receiving unemployment climbing by 32 percent year over year in February. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for recent college graduates went up to 5.8 percent in March from 4.6 percent last year, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

What People Are Saying

Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: "Seeing such a high unemployment rate for majors like computer science may stun many Americans. After all, it's been one of the most encouraged majors in recent years due to the unprecedented need in the field by many businesses."

"However, an abundance of those who major in a field doesn't necessarily create more talent, and as many companies have developed more complex needs, they often want employees more skilled with a proven track record of success. As a result, some new graduates may find it more difficult than expected to obtain a job, especially in our current environment where some employers are scaling back."

HR consultant Bryan Driscoll told Newsweek: "Computer science majors have long been sold a dream that doesn't match reality. Pick the 'right' major, work hard, and you'll land a stable, high-paying job. But just like many majors and related jobs, the reality hits hard - too many grads, not enough jobs, crippling student debt, and a market that rewards pedigree over potential."

Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of MichaelRyanMoney.com, told Newsweek: "Every kid with a laptop thinks they're the next Zuckerberg, but most can't debug their way out of a paper bag... We created a gold rush mentality around coding right as the gold ran out. Companies are cutting engineering budgets by 40 percent while CS enrollment hits record highs. It's basic economics. Flood the market, crater the wages."

What Happens Next

For many computer science roles, you'll have tens of thousands of graduates chasing the job, which now demands years of experience, an impressive GitHub and the ability to work for low pay, Driscoll said.

"The problem is the system. We've overproduced degrees without addressing how exploitative and gatekept the tech hiring pipeline has become," Driscoll said. "Entry-level roles are vanishing, unpaid internships are still rampant, and companies are offshoring or automating the very jobs these grads trained for."