Communications of the ACM
Computer Science Continues Growth on College Campuses
Credit: Web Developers
After falling to its lowest level since the 1970s in 2005, computer science enrollments at U.S. universities have been rising for the last three consecutive years, according to the Computing Research Association. At Stanford University, more than 220 students declared a computer science major during the 2011-2012 school year, a 25 percent increase over the previous high, which took place during the 2000-2001 school year. Stanford professor Mehran Sahami says it's only been the last five years that have seen the enrollment numbers take off.
Meanwhile, employment of computer scientists is expected to grow by 19 percent through 2020, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics. Some of this growth can be attributed to the economy and the job market in technology fields, which are "still seen as pretty strong despite the fact that the broader economy may be perceived as weak," Sahami says.
However, many computer science programs face a shortage of qualified computer science faculty to meet student demand, notes Florida Southern College professor Gwen Walton. Although some schools are dealing with budgetary restraints, Sahami says institutions should invest more resources into computer science programs.
From U.S. News & World Report
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