Enrollment in a Bachelor of Science in computer science and software engineering at ASU has declined by more than 1,000 students since 2024, while other engineering fields, particularly mechanical and electrical engineering, have seen significant growth.
Data from the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering show that enrollment in a B.S. in computer science degree dropped from 5,844 in Fall 2024 to 5,008 in Fall 2025, while software engineering fell from 1,347 to 1,086 students.
On the other hand, mechanical engineering rose from 2,795 to 3,287 students and electrical engineering increased from 2,825 to 3,252 Sun Devils.
"I'm not optimistic, I'm really stressed," Bethelehem Tejeji, a sophomore studying computer science, said. "I feel like if I don't get an internship soon, I am going to be left behind."
Tejeji said the rise of AI has changed how she views her future in tech, adding that students like her feel like they are taking on not only one another but also systemization.
"I'm competing against a bunch of other people that probably do the same thing, and I'm also competing against a company's desire to use AI," Tejeji said.
Faculty say that although those concerns may be common, they do not reflect the full panorama.
"There's a little bit of the fear of the unknown," Kevin Gary, the associate director of academic and student affairs and professor at the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, said.
Gary explained the decline in computing enrollment is propelled by several factors, including more incoming students entering college without declaring a major, reduced international enrollment due to visa and job market uncertainty and growing anxiety surrounding AI.
Some students are reacting to the rapid technological change by questioning the long-term value of a computer science degree, with concerns that advances in AI could reduce the need for programming jobs, Gary said.
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However, he believes that perspective is likely premature.
"The appetite for software is not going down in the world because of AI; it's going up," Gary said. "We'll write more software than ever."
He said students should take an active role in their education, making sure their universities are preparing them for a rapidly changing landscape shaped by AI.
Gary also said that while AI is transforming how work is done, it is also expanding the need for new skills, which is prompting ASU to introduce AI-focused degrees, concentrations and certificates coming out as soon as Fall 2026.
While computing programs adapt to an ever evolving climate, other engineering fields are attracting students for different reasons.
"There's no better time in the history of the world to be a mechanical engineer," James Middleton, a professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, said.
Middleton said mechanical engineering is one of the most applicable engineering disciplines, allowing graduates to move into fields ranging from aerospace to biomedical engineering.
"Everything that you touch and see, mechanical engineers design that," he said.
Middleton also explained that the field offers stability and flexibility, with graduates entering a wide range of industries.
Unlike computer science, where AI has planted a seed of uncertainty, Middleton said AI is being used in mechanical engineering as a tool to improve design.
"Mechanical engineers make about $100,000 a year on average," Middleton said. "You can make money, making the world a better place."
READ MORE: Experts discuss the growth of AI, how Sun Devils can become more AI literate
Tejeji said fields like mechanical engineering seem more stable than computer science because they require physical, hands-on work that still depends on human involvement, regardless of how advanced AI becomes.
"AI is a tool for mechanical engineering," Middleton said. "It's dramatically changing what we're able to do and so that's very different. It's not taking jobs away from mechanical engineers."
As factors like AI continue to reshape industries, faculty members say the challenge for students is not avoiding the change, but learning how to adapt to it.
"AI is going to impact everybody," Gary said. "It is impacting everybody already. You're better off trying to figure out what (you) want to do, and how AI impacts what (you) want to do."
Edited by Henry Smardo, Senna James and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporter at mmart533@asu.edu.
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MJ Martinez is a senior reporter at The State Press. She has worked for the paper for 3 semesters, working previously as a SciTech Reporter.
