Computer Science Majors Rethink Careers as AI Advances

Northeastern computer science students are adjusting their career plans as artificial intelligence reshapes the technology industry.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Internships

Empty wooden study desks in a brick-walled university room beside a tall window, with one closed laptop in soft overcast light. — Northeastern computer science students are reconsidering their career plans as AI agents increasingly write code, with unemployment for recent CS graduates reaching about 7.1 percent. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Computer science graduates face an unemployment rate of approximately 7.1%, higher than the 5.2% rate for graduates overall. Students at Northeastern's Khoury College of Computer Sciences in Boston are adjusting their plans as software companies increasingly use AI agents to write code.

Why it matters

Software companies using AI agents to write code instead of human programmers is cited as the driver behind the rising unemployment among computer science graduates. For Boston students and employers, the shift is changing how the region's technology talent pipeline prepares for work.

Computer science graduates report an unemployment rate of approximately 7.1%, compared with 5.2% for the general graduate population. The extraction does not specify the time period covered by these figures.

The players

Khoury College of Computer Sciences

Northeastern University's computer science college, which integrated AI into its foundational coursework and renamed its data science major.

Wayfair

An online home furnishings retailer where Northeastern student Harsh Singh is completing his second co-op.

The details

Khoury College integrated AI into PDI 2, a foundational course, and renamed its undergraduate data science major to AI while combining some majors. Harsh Singh, a fourth-year student, is completing his second co-op at Wayfair, and there is no standardized AI policy across all Khoury classes.

Second-year students Alavilli and Chauhan are currently describing their studies and industry outlook.
Fourth-year student Harsh Singh is completing his second co-op at Wayfair.

Industry Trajectory

Software companies are increasingly using AI agents to write code in place of human programmers, a shift that is now visible in computer science unemployment figures. Students at Khoury College are responding by changing their curricula and career expectations.

Computer science students entering the job market face a tighter entry-level landscape as employers rely more on AI for coding tasks. Students considering the field may need to plan for internships and co-ops that build skills AI does not replace.

The takeaway

Computer science students are responding to AI by adapting their coursework and co-op experiences. Those planning a career in the field should weigh how internships and hands-on work can differentiate them in a changing market.