Computer Science: A Popular College Major Faces One of the Highest Unemployment Rates

Computer Science which is considered as a Golden Ticket to the highest paying tech jobs is now seen as a field with the most unemployment in the United States.

According to recent data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the unemployment rate for computer science graduates has risen to 6.1%.

Closely related field, computer engineering majors face an unemployment rate of 7.5% placing this field at the top of the list of unemployed degree holders. In comparison, the unemployment rate for art history majors was three percent.

One expert 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".

One of the reasons for the high rate of computer science majors was the boom during Covid, which has fallen off since, resulting in tech layoffs.

Adding to the concern, the data also noted that among recent graduates unemployment is widely increasing with the number of Gen Z households receiving unemployment benefits rising by 32% year on year as of February,2025. On the other hand, majors such as nutrition sciences, construction services, and civil engineering have some of the lowest unemployment rates, ranging between 1 percent and as low as 0.4 percent.

Even while computer science is still an evolving field, the jobs market today shows that there are no significant assurances of automatic employment. Success for students in today's world not only depends on what they study but how well they prepare for the actual world.