A new survey from Gallup and the Lumina Foundation reveals that 16% of college students have changed their major due to artificial intelligence's impact on the job market. The report, based on responses from 3,800 students, also found that 47% have seriously considered switching fields for the same reason.
Students in tech and vocational programs are most likely to reconsider their majors, with 70% in each group reporting they’ve given it at least some thought. In contrast, those in healthcare and the natural sciences are the least affected. Among those who switched, 26% moved to social sciences, 17% to business, and 13% to technology.
The survey highlights a split in attitudes toward tech fields. Some students are drawn to AI-related careers like software engineering and AI specialties, while others avoid majors more susceptible to automation. Interest in traditional programming has declined, dropping from 14% in 2020 to 10% in 2026, while AI-focused studies grew from 1.7% in 2023 to 4.7% in 2026.
Separately, a Yahoo report found that more than half of U.S. college students use AI weekly in their coursework, despite many schools discouraging or banning its use. Business, technology, and engineering majors are the most frequent users, with 70% of business students using AI regularly.