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The computer science degree isn’t dead

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Re: The computer science degree isn’t dead

#31

Post by jayd16 »

le-mark wrote: post #2

> The Federal Reserve Bank of New York recently placed unemployment for recent CS graduates in the United States at 6.1 percent, with computer engineering graduates at 7.5 percent. Compared to philosophy majors at 3.2 percent and art history graduates at 3.0 percent, those figures look alarming. Alarming doesn’t begin to describe it. This is an existential crises for our industry. The situation for entry level has be…

Unemployment is based on the amount looking. I gotta say, how many philosophy students do you know actively looking for jobs? Now ask yourself why you think it's zero.

Re: The computer science degree isn’t dead

#32

Post by RealityVoid »

shagie wrote: post #22
le-mark wrote: post #2

> The Federal Reserve Bank of New York recently placed unemployment for recent CS graduates in the United States at 6.1 percent, with computer engineering graduates at 7.5 percent. Compared to philosophy majors at 3.2 percent and art history graduates at 3.0 percent, those figures look alarming. Alarming doesn’t begin to describe it. This is an existential crises for our industry. The situation for entry level has be…

https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market#--:... (note: Latest Release: February 4, 2026, based on data from 2024) Yes, this has unemployment computer engineering at #2 with 7.8% and computer science at #5 at 7.0%. Philosophy is at 5.1% unemployment. The next column is also important to look at - the underemployment rate. Is the graduate in a profession that requires the degree. The underemployment rat…

There is an image crisis. Yes, it's not a badly paid profession. But the perception that it's a dead end will lead to a sharp drop off in the student numbers.

Re: The computer science degree isn’t dead

#33

Post by anal_reactor »

ehnto wrote: post #23
taurath wrote: post #19

If one is thinking about not getting a degree and trying to go straight to work, as someone who did so (albiet out of poverty rather than choice) but didn't end up like Zuck, please heed my warning: Social capital matters more than just about anyone who has a degree can understand and tell you or mentor you about, because the majority of them have always had it, and they tend not even to interact with people without…

To a much smaller extent due to where I live, I noticed this too. From merely the fact that I had a (local economy relative) high paying software job and that I could "make stuff happen" for people with capital or people in the "boys club", I was introduced to an entirely different layer of the city I had no idea about. I noticed how effortlessly the signals transfer and how it all feels very meritocratic, you don't…

Honestly I do the reverse of that. I dress like shit and when introducing myself I specifically use the word "immigrant" rather than "expat" because signalling high social position attracts people who want something from me but don't offer anything in return.

Re: The computer science degree isn’t dead

#34

Post by n64controller »

photochemsyn wrote: post #6

If you’re going to get a CS degree, do it in a master’s degree program. Get your undergraduate degree in anything else that involves at least some mathematics, I’d recommend physics, chemistry, molecular biology, planetary sciences - probability, calculus, linear algebra. Engineering is somewhat more on the vocational side, but that works too. Why? You don’t narrow your scope at the beginning!

[dead]

Re: The computer science degree isn’t dead

#35

Post by aaron695 »

taurath wrote: post #19

If one is thinking about not getting a degree and trying to go straight to work, as someone who did so (albiet out of poverty rather than choice) but didn't end up like Zuck, please heed my warning: Social capital matters more than just about anyone who has a degree can understand and tell you or mentor you about, because the majority of them have always had it, and they tend not even to interact with people without…

[dead]

Re: The computer science degree isn’t dead

#36

Post by stephbook »

taurath wrote: post #19

If one is thinking about not getting a degree and trying to go straight to work, as someone who did so (albiet out of poverty rather than choice) but didn't end up like Zuck, please heed my warning: Social capital matters more than just about anyone who has a degree can understand and tell you or mentor you about, because the majority of them have always had it, and they tend not even to interact with people without…

Shouldn't a bad job market convince people to get a degree?

You only miss a bad job market entry and low salaries, you need every meagre advantage you can get.

100% agree on a degree being a strong signal, by the way.

Re: The computer science degree isn’t dead

#37

Post by tonyedgecombe »

bluefirebrand wrote: post #27
Traubenfuchs wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would actually be good for us… I never understood why software engineers were so excited about open source and teaching everyone to code. Why aren‘t we more like doctors or lawyers?

Why aren't doctors or lawyers more like us?

Because they have professional bodies that act as gatekeepers.

Re: The computer science degree isn’t dead

#38

Post by jillesvangurp »

Get any kind of degree. A research degree is better. Not because people will ask you for your degree but because the effort of getting one teaches you how to learn new stuff. Especially a Ph D. degree. A few years into your career, you will have learned most of what you know on the job.

I know plenty of programmers with degrees other than computer science. Geologists, biochemists, theoretical physicists, etc. Most hard sciences involve some degree of programming at this point (usually Python). And with AI, system thinking is becoming much more relevant than deep algorithmic knowledge or math skills. Nice if you can do that stuff manually but not that essential anymore.

Re: The computer science degree isn’t dead

#39

Post by tonyedgecombe »

graphime wrote: post #9
antonvs wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where do you draw the line on that attitude? Do you not care about global warming because in your lifetime, you're probably not going to experience an unsurvivable wet bulb temperature where you happen to live?

> Where do you draw the line on that attitude? I draw the line at things that directly impact my net worth. > Do you not care about global warming because you're probably not going to experience an unsurvivable wet bulb temperature where you happen to live in your lifetime? Correct. I don’t care about global warming or climate change.

>Correct. I don’t care about global warming or climate change.

I suppose that makes a change from it's not happening or it is happening but it isn't man made or it is man made but we can't do anything about it.

Re: The computer science degree isn’t dead

#40

Post by vanuatu »

Im quite bullish on CS degrees, they equip you with a network and the general "vibe" of being in a common environment with other smart passionate kids that push you to challenge yourself

also right now nothing is higher signal than a new grad who built a product with actual paying users

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