Computer Science Enrollments up 10%

A recent report shed some light on a movement calling primary school teachers to get a better handle on computer science in general, to better educate their students as the tech economy in the U.S bec...
Computer Science Enrollments up 10%
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  • A recent report shed some light on a movement calling primary school teachers to get a better handle on computer science in general, to better educate their students as the tech economy in the U.S becomes more vital – and new data from the Computer Research Association has shown that enrollment in computer science majors has been up roughly 10% in the 2011-2012 academic year, marking the fourth year straight of increases.

    These rates comprised the new Taulbee Survey, conducted by the CRA, which compiles demographic information regarding computer science enrollment, graduation rates, graduate employment, etc. This year’s data also indicates that students might be more interested in a CS degree than can be gauged, as many schools have computer science programs that have constrained enrollment due to lack of space, faculty, etc.

    computer science enrollment rates

    Overall enrollment was up 11.5% per department as compared to the 2010-2011 school year. The total number of bachelor of science degrees for CS was 10.5 percent higher in the 2010-11 school year, according to the report – of those schools who responded to both year’s surveys, CS graduates were up 12.9 percent.

    computer science major enrollment rates

    In total, 1,782 CS Ph.D’s were handed out in 2010-2011, 267 Ph.D.-offering schools. Regarding CS master’s degrees, 75.4% of the degrees were awarded to males, and interestingly, 56.7% were awarded to nonresident aliens. The Taulbee Survey also reports that women’s enrollment in computer science is on a decline, with bachelor’s degrees falling from 13.8% to 11.7%.

    One wonders where over half of those who are awarded Ph.D’s in computer science are ending up after they graduate, being nonresident aliens. It all seems indicative of the strange world tech culture involving code-writing foreigners being paid a dollar an hour to edit the steady stream of Facebook wall posts written by Americans who wouldn’t know what to do outside of any pastel-colored graphical user interface.

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