The Changing Landscape of Postsecondary Education

Where Students Are Heading

The recent Clearinghouse Enrollment Insights: Final Fall Enrollment Trends report shows that overall postsecondary enrollment grew by 1.0% in fall 2025. This growth comes even as students are choosing programs very differently, signaling shifts in degree demand across major fields. 

Computer Science Enrollment Declines Across All Levels

Enrollment in traditional Computer and Information Science programs declined across every award level and institution type in fall 2025. Undergraduate enrollment at four-year institutions fell by 8.1% to about 606,000 students. Graduate enrollment dropped sharply by 14.0%, with about 190,000 students.

Computer and Information Science enrollment has grown rapidly over the past decade, making this decline notable. The steep graduate drop points to a slowdown in advanced specialization, with thousands of students nationwide redirecting their degree paths. Meanwhile, programs such as Data Science and Data Analytics are seeing strong enrollment growth.

Data Science and Analytics Continue to Gain Momentum

Data Science and Data Analytics programs are growing rapidly at four-year institutions. Meanwhile, interest in traditional Computer Science is declining. Following their 2020 addition to the federal Classification of Instructional Program, enrollment in these majors expanded quickly. By fall 2025, nearly 80,000 students had enrolled nationwide, with growth at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

Matthew Holsapple, Senior Director of Research at the National Student Clearinghouse, notes, “The latest enrollment data shows that students aren’t stepping away from technology-focused fields but are increasingly gravitating towards programs that combine technical skills with practical, career-focused applications.” This reflects evolving perceptions of where long-term career opportunities are emerging.

Health Professions Maintain Strong Growth

Health professions continue to show consistent enrollment gains across credential levels after rebounding in 2025 post-COVID-19 pandemic. Graduate enrollment in health programs grew by 2.0% to 760,900 students. Undergraduate enrollment increased more sharply. This was especially true at two-year institutions, with an increase of 59,800 students (+7.7%), bringing total undergraduate enrollment in health professions to 2.1 million students. The consistent growth of health professions highlights the strong and sustained student interest in healthcare fields, driven by workforce demand and the ongoing appeal of career-ready programs.

Engineering Shows a Split Between Undergraduate and Graduate Enrollment

Engineering enrollment trends in fall 2025 reveal a clear divergence between undergraduate and graduate study. Undergraduate engineering programs saw enrollment growth across all institution levels. This increase continues a pattern of strong, consistent growth at these institutions over the past few years. It also points to strong student interest in applied, career-ready engineering degrees.

Graduate engineering enrollment, by contrast, declined by 2.2%. This is one of the most significant single-year decreases in engineering enrollment in recent years. These patterns highlight growing momentum in practical, workforce-oriented undergraduate engineering pathways. 

Life Sciences Continue to Attract Growing Student Interest

Biological and biomedical sciences posted notable enrollment gains across degree levels. Undergraduate enrollment at four-year institutions saw the largest headcount growth, adding nearly 23,000 students (+3.7%), while graduate enrollment increased by 1.5% (+1,600 students). These trends indicate continued student interest in life sciences fields connected to healthcare, research, and biotechnology.

Degree Shifts are Reshaping the STEM Field

The fall 2025 data show that students are not leaving STEM. Instead, they are increasingly choosing applied, data-focused, and health-related programs. This shift is happening even as interest in traditional computer science declines.

“Students appear to be aligning their program choices with the emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and automation, we are seeing in the workforce,” adds Sarah Karamarkovich, Research Associate at the National Student Clearinghouse, “and they seem to be pursuing pathways that provide flexibility, resilience, and the skills needed to thrive in tech-driven industries.”

These trends reveal evolving student priorities and offer a glimpse into how the talent pipeline and workforce skills are shifting in response to rapid advances in AI, automation, and data-driven industries.

“The latest enrollment data shows that students aren’t stepping away from technology-focused fields but are increasingly gravitating towards programs that combine technical skills with practical, career-focused applications.”

Matthew Holsapple
Senior Director of Research, National Student Clearinghouse Research Center