Computer science graduates are finding it harder to land jobs despite years of encouragement to study coding,. The field that once promised six-figure starting salaries and rapid career growth is now challenged by layoffs and the rise of AI programming tools that reduce demand for junior engineers.
Manasi Mishra, 21, from San Ramon, California, grew up hearing tech leaders urge students to learn computer programming for high-paying jobs. She followed that advice, coding since elementary school and earning a computer science degree from Purdue University. But after a year of job hunting, she had no offers in tech. “I just graduated with a computer science degree, and the only company that has called me for an interview is Chipotle,” Mishra said in a TikTok video that has gone viral.
AI and layoffs squeeze entry-level job opportunities
Since the early 2010s, presidents and tech billionaires have pushed computer science education, promising large salaries and benefits. Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president, said in 2012 that starting salaries typically exceed $100,000 with bonuses and stock grants. “Typically their starting salary is more than $100,000,” plus $15,000 hiring bonuses and stock grants worth $50,000, Smith said as he kicked off a campaign to get more high schools to teach computing.
This helped drive a surge in students majoring in computing, with U.S. undergraduates more than doubling from 2014 to 2024, reaching over 170,000.
However, layoffs at major firms like Amazon, Intel, Meta, and Microsoft, combined with AI tools that can write and debug code rapidly, have diminished entry-level job prospects. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reports that unemployment among recent computer science and computer engineering graduates is around 6.1% and 7.5%, twice the rate of other majors like biology and art history.
“Computer science students who graduated three or four years ago would have been fighting off offers from top firms — and now that same student would be struggling to get a job from anyone,” Jeff Forbes, former National Science Foundation program director, told NYT.
Thousands of recent grads shared their experiences of applying to hundreds or even thousands of jobs. Zach Taylor, a 25-year-old Oregon State graduate, said he applied to 5,762 tech jobs since graduating in 2023 and secured only 13 interviews, but no offers. “The job search has been one of the most demoralizing experiences I have ever had to go through,” Taylor told NYT.
Speaking to NYT, Matthew Martin, senior economist at Oxford Economics, noted, “The unfortunate thing right now, specifically for recent college grads, is those positions that are most likely to be automated are the entry-level positions that they would be seeking.”
Graduates adapt as AI reshapes hiring
Many graduates feel stuck in a cycle where AI helps them apply to many jobs quickly, but companies also use AI to screen resumes, often rejecting candidates before human review. Audrey Roller, a recent data science graduate, told NYT, “Some companies are using AI to screen candidates and removing the human aspect. It’s hard to stay motivated when you feel like an algorithm determines whether you get to pay your bills.”
Tech education backers are shifting focus to AI skills. Microsoft pledged $4 billion for AI training, and former President Donald Trump introduced a national AI action plan encouraging students to pursue AI careers.
Manasi Mishra eventually found a job in tech sales, saying her experience as a TikTok influencer helped her realize her interest lay beyond coding.
Manasi Mishra, 21, from San Ramon, California, grew up hearing tech leaders urge students to learn computer programming for high-paying jobs. She followed that advice, coding since elementary school and earning a computer science degree from Purdue University. But after a year of job hunting, she had no offers in tech. “I just graduated with a computer science degree, and the only company that has called me for an interview is Chipotle,” Mishra said in a TikTok video that has gone viral.
AI and layoffs squeeze entry-level job opportunities
Since the early 2010s, presidents and tech billionaires have pushed computer science education, promising large salaries and benefits. Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president, said in 2012 that starting salaries typically exceed $100,000 with bonuses and stock grants. “Typically their starting salary is more than $100,000,” plus $15,000 hiring bonuses and stock grants worth $50,000, Smith said as he kicked off a campaign to get more high schools to teach computing.
This helped drive a surge in students majoring in computing, with U.S. undergraduates more than doubling from 2014 to 2024, reaching over 170,000.
However, layoffs at major firms like Amazon, Intel, Meta, and Microsoft, combined with AI tools that can write and debug code rapidly, have diminished entry-level job prospects. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reports that unemployment among recent computer science and computer engineering graduates is around 6.1% and 7.5%, twice the rate of other majors like biology and art history.
“Computer science students who graduated three or four years ago would have been fighting off offers from top firms — and now that same student would be struggling to get a job from anyone,” Jeff Forbes, former National Science Foundation program director, told NYT.
Thousands of recent grads shared their experiences of applying to hundreds or even thousands of jobs. Zach Taylor, a 25-year-old Oregon State graduate, said he applied to 5,762 tech jobs since graduating in 2023 and secured only 13 interviews, but no offers. “The job search has been one of the most demoralizing experiences I have ever had to go through,” Taylor told NYT.
Speaking to NYT, Matthew Martin, senior economist at Oxford Economics, noted, “The unfortunate thing right now, specifically for recent college grads, is those positions that are most likely to be automated are the entry-level positions that they would be seeking.”
Graduates adapt as AI reshapes hiring
Many graduates feel stuck in a cycle where AI helps them apply to many jobs quickly, but companies also use AI to screen resumes, often rejecting candidates before human review. Audrey Roller, a recent data science graduate, told NYT, “Some companies are using AI to screen candidates and removing the human aspect. It’s hard to stay motivated when you feel like an algorithm determines whether you get to pay your bills.”
Tech education backers are shifting focus to AI skills. Microsoft pledged $4 billion for AI training, and former President Donald Trump introduced a national AI action plan encouraging students to pursue AI careers.
Manasi Mishra eventually found a job in tech sales, saying her experience as a TikTok influencer helped her realize her interest lay beyond coding.
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