Which degrees hold up against AI? What the 2026 data shows
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Match my degreeMost Americans now expect AI to cost jobs: 71% say it will lead to fewer jobs in the U.S. over the next 20 years, up from 64% in 2024. Source · Pew Research, Aug. 18, 2026 Students are already moving. In spring 2026, undergraduate enrollment in health professions grew 6.0% to 7.1%, while computer science fell 8.4% to 11.2%. Source · National Student Clearinghouse
Nobody can say for sure which jobs AI will change most. What the data can show is where students are going and what the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects for each job. That picture is more mixed than “avoid tech.”
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Worry about AI is rising, especially among young adults
52% of Americans say they’re more concerned than excited about AI in daily life, up from 37% in 2021. For the first time, a majority of adults under 30, 55%, say the same. Source · Pew Research
Only 5% expect AI to lead to more jobs over the next 20 years. That worry is showing up in what people choose to study.
Students are moving toward health care
For the third year in a row, health professions enrollment rose at every credential level and type of school. At four-year schools it passed one million students, reaching 1.05 million. Source · National Student Clearinghouse
| Field | Change |
|---|---|
| Health professions, all school types | +6.0% to +7.1% |
| Computer and information sciences, four-year schools | −8.4% |
| Computer and information sciences, mostly associate-granting schools | −9.3% |
| Computer and information sciences, two-year schools | −11.2% |
Health professions and engineering added the most four-year students: about 61,000 and 41,000. The Clearinghouse reads the computer science drop as growth leveling off after earlier years of fast gains.
Projected job growth splits inside computing
BLS projections for 2025 to 2035 don’t show computing in decline across the board. Degree-level jobs like data scientists and information security analysts are projected to grow fast. The jobs projected to shrink are support and administration roles. Source · BLS Employment Projections
| Job | Field | Typical entry education | Growth, 2025-35 | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse practitioners | Health | Master's degree | 41% | 29,400 | $132,300 |
| Data scientists | Computing | Bachelor's degree | 34.6% | 24,800 | $120,230 |
| Medical and health services managers | Health | Bachelor's degree | 24.2% | 62,300 | $123,860 |
| Physician assistants | Health | Master's degree | 21.1% | 11,500 | $135,880 |
| Information security analysts | Computing | Bachelor's degree | 21% | 14,100 | $129,180 |
| Software developers | Computing | Bachelor's degree | 10.2% | 95,300 | $135,980 |
| Registered nurses | Health | Bachelor's degree | 5.6% | 180,800 | $97,550 |
| Computer network support specialists | Computing | Associate's degree | 1.2% | 9,000 | $76,220 |
| Computer user support specialists | Computing | Some college, no degree | -3.5% | 39,700 | $61,860 |
| Network and computer systems administrators | Computing | Bachelor's degree | -4.1% | 13,400 | $99,130 |
How to use this when you choose a degree
- Look at the job, not the label. “Computing” covers fast-growing and shrinking jobs alike. Check the specific job a program leads to.
- Weigh openings with growth. A large field with steady growth can offer more openings than a small field growing fast.
- Expect in-person training in health care. BLS notes that all nursing programs include supervised clinical experience, so expect in-person hours even if classes are online. Source · BLS, Registered nurses
- Check the payback. Pay and cost decide whether a degree is worth it for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is computer science still worth studying?
BLS still projects strong growth for software developers (10.2%) and data scientists (34.6%). The drop in enrollment is a shift in student choices, not a BLS projection.
Which health care jobs can I start with a degree online?
Health administration, RN-to-BSN completion and some graduate nursing programs offer online classes. Our guide to health care careers you can start online covers what’s online and what isn’t.
Your next step is the payback math
Demand is one half of the decision. The ROI calculator shows the other half: how long a program takes to pay back for you, using BLS pay for the job you want.
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Sources
Every figure in this guide comes from one of these pages. How we check sources
- Pew Research Center, Young adults in the U.S. are increasingly wary of AI, Aug. 18, 2026
- National Student Clearinghouse, Spring 2026 enrollment trends, June 4, 2026
- BLS: Employment Projections, occupational projections and characteristics 2025-35
- BLS: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national estimates
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Registered nurses
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