College AI degree programs are booming. Are they worth the cost?
Ute Grabowsky | Photothek | Getty Images
Computer science is not a new major at top schools, but with AI jobs in high-demand, there’s a growing list of colleges and universities offering a four-year “AI” degree specifically.
These programs generally move beyond the foundations of computer science to home in on topics such as machine learning, computing algorithms, data analytics and advanced robotics. The University of Pennsylvania recently announced that its B.S.E. in Artificial Intelligence program will begin in fall 2024. Carnegie Mellon introduced a program well before gen AI was a buzzword, in fall 2018, and MIT’s program began in fall 2022. Purdue University offers an AI undergraduate major, while many colleges and universities offer AI classes within their computer science department, even if there’s not a dedicated major.
The rise of AI-specific degree programs comes as companies are short on talent for this fast-developing field. Half of the highest-paid skills in technology are AI-specific, according to the employment website Indeed.com. Even so, there’s some degree of skepticism about the applicability of an AI-specific four-year degree given how quickly the technology is changing. But proponents say that as long as a program is steeped in computer science and other fundamentals, a focus on AI could provide a resume-building boon.
Here’s what students and their parents, as well as anyone thinking about going back to school for a new career, needs to know about a four-year AI degree:
STEM fundamentals remain critical
Students that want to pursue a degree in AI should look for a program that teaches fundamental information such as computer science concepts, statistics, mathematics and engineering, which lay the foundation for a career in an AI-related field, said Kerem Koca, chief executive of BlueCloud, a cloud service provider. The technology itself is changing, but these core underpinnings do not, and they can prepare students to be successful, even as underlying technology changes, he said.
“It’s important that AI degrees and other education training programs not only focus on specific skill development, but that the focus is on helping students learn how to learn, which includes developing an intellectual curiosity, and skills like leadership, communication and critical thinking,” said Maria Flynn, president and chief executive of Jobs for the Future, an organization that focuses on worker opportunity and education, in an email.
AI degree spike since 2011
There are a number of different programs that focus on AI at the undergraduate and graduate level, and there has been an increase in offerings and degrees being awarded for over a decade now.
According to the Georgetown University Center for Security and Emerging Technology, AI degrees have bucked the general trend in education since 2011, with positive degree conferral growth versus negative growth across all degree areas. AI-related degree awards, in particular, grew even faster than STEM degrees as a general category at bachelor’s master’s and PhD levels. Its review of government data and other sources on the higher education market described the growth of AI degree conferrals as “dramatic,” increasing 120% since 2011 at both bachelor’s and master’s levels.
Some students might also be interested in pursuing AI as an associate’s degree, which several schools, including Miami Dade College, offer.
Education relevance in fast-changing tech market
Some students may wonder if they even need a degree at all, given how fast the market is changing and the fact that more employers have expressed a willingness to hire workers without degrees if they have the appropriate, job-required skills.
It’s important to note that recent research suggests the practice of hiring people without degrees has fallen short, however, and research from the Ladders career site shows that a degree is still required for the highest paying jobs, a list that includes software engineers.
A four-year degree is still a big step up for most entering the job market for the first time, said Celeste Grupman, chief executive of Dataquest, which supplies AI-related educational materials and labs to universities. “It’s still one of the first things an employer is going to look at. It’s not going to get you disqualified, whereas not having one might.”
Even so, several providers including Dataquest and Coursera, offer certificate programs for learners to build skills quickly. These programs may be appropriate for students who lack the time and resources to complete a four-year program, or already have a degree and are looking to upskill, Grupman said. An online platform allows students to quickly start building projects and understanding how to implement these tools successfully for employment purposes.
AI vs. computer science
It’s important for students to think critically about the curriculum for the program they are considering, how it’s different from a standard computer science curriculum, the likely career trajectory for graduates of the program and economic outcomes for graduates. “As we see in product marketing, anyone can slap ‘AI’ onto an existing product. Students should ask what aspects of AI they will be learning,” Flynn said.
It’s also important for students to carefully consider what they want. Are they looking for a program that provides exposure to AI or practice using AI, or do they want a technical program that provides foundational content and courses on AI technology? They should also consider whether they ultimately want relevant skills and knowledge that will get them into the labor market right now or whether they want a broader degree that will be a foundation for longer-term advancement, Flynn said.
“If you’re an architect, you don’t want a degree in hammers. You want to understand hammers, you want to understand zoning and you want to understand how to build a house that helps a family come alive. The same is true in AI,” said Nichol Bradford, artificial intelligence and human intelligence executive-in-residence with SHRM, an organization for human resources professionals.
How to gain an edge with employers
Some employers may look more favorably upon an AI-specific degree versus a plain-vanilla computer science degree, said David Leighton, chief executive at WITI, an organization for technology-minded professionals. “I think it sets them apart.”
On the other hand, no one really knows right now what the value of such a degree will be in a few years. “In the year 2000, if you had an internet degree, if there was such a thing, it would have looked great,” Koca said. “Now, it wouldn’t be as applicable. But if you had it in 2002, you could have gotten a job anywhere. The same could be true for a degree in AI.”
Given the uncertainty, some professionals said students can’t go wrong with a traditional computer science degree or an AI-specific one, provided the fundamentals are covered. Those who take the former route, however, should consider taking classes related to AI and data science, which can be important for future employment. Otherwise, students might need to “close the practical application gap themselves post-graduation,” said Bryan Ackermann, head of AI strategy and transformation at the management consultancy Korn Ferry, in an email.
The Applied Materials logo on Dec. 17, 2024.
Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Applied Materials shares sank more than 10% in extended trading Thursday as the semiconductor equipment company provided outlook for the current quarter that came in light.
Here’s how Applied Materials did in its third-quarter earnings results versus LSEG consensus estimates:
- EPS: $2.48, adjusted, versus $2.36 estimated.
- Revenue: $7.3 billion vs $7.22 billion estimated.
Applied Materials said it expects $2.11 per share in adjusted earnings in the current quarter, lower than LSEG estimates of $2.39 per share. The company said to expect $6.7 billion in revenue, versus $7.34 billion estimated.
CEO Gary Dickerson said that the current macroeconomic and policy environment is “creating increased uncertainty and lower visibility.” He said the company’s China business is particularly effected by the uncertainty.
The Trump administration’s tariffs could double the price of imported chips unless companies buying them commit to building in the U.S. Applied Materials makes tools for chip foundries to physically make chips, much of which currently happens in Asia.
Applied Materials said that it has a large backlog of pending export license applications with the U.S. government, but that it’s assuming none of them will be issued in the next quarter.
“We are expecting a decline in revenue in the fourth quarter driven by both digestion of capacity in China and non-linear demand from leading-edge customers given market concentration and fab timing,” the company’s finance chief said in a statement. He added that it expected lower China business to continue for several more quarters.
Applied Materials reported $1.78 billion in net income, or $2.22 per diluted share in the quarter, versus $1.71 billion or $2.05 in the year-ago period.
The company’s most important division, semiconductor systems, reported $5.43 billion in sales, topping estimates, and representing a 10% rise from last year.
Applied Materials was praised by President Donald Trump earlier this month after it was included in an Apple program to make more chips in the U.S.
Apple said it would partner with the chipmaker to produce more manufacturing equipment in Austin, Texas.
WATCH: Apple and Trump detail $100 billion U.S. spending expansion: Here’s what to know
Lip-Bu Tan, chief executive officer of Intel Corp., departs following a meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025.
Alex Wroblewski | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Intel shares rose 7% on Thursday after Bloomberg reported that the Trump administration is in talks with the chipmaker to have the U.S. government take a stake in the struggling company.
Intel is the only U.S. company with the capability to manufacture the fastest chips on U.S. shores, although rivals including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and Samsung also have U.S. factories. President Donald Trump has called for more chips and high technology to be manufactured in the U.S.
The government’s stake would help fund factories that Intel is currently building in Ohio, according to the report.
Earlier this week, Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan visited Trump in the White House, a meeting that took place after the president had called for Tan’s resignation based on allegations he has ties to China.
Intel said at the time that Tan is “deeply committed to advancing U.S. national and economic security interests.” An Intel representative declined to comment about reports that the government is considering taking a stake in the company.
“We look forward to continuing our work with the Trump Administration to advance these shared priorities, but we are not going to comment on rumors or speculation,” the spokesperson said.
Tan took over Intel earlier this year after the chipmaker failed to gain significant share in artificial intelligence chips, while it was spending heavily to build its foundry business, which manufactures chips for other companies.
Intel’s foundry business has yet to secure a major customer, which would be a critical step in moving towards expansion and giving other potential customers the confidence to turn to Intel for manufacturing.
In July, Tan said that Intel was canceling plans for manufacturing sites in Germany and Poland and would slow down development in Ohio, adding that spending at the chipmaker would be closely scrutinized.
Under Trump, the U.S. government has increasingly moved to put itself at the center of deals in major industries. Last week, it said it would take 15% of certain Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices chip sales to China. The Pentagon bought a $400 million equity stake in rare-earth miner MP Materials. It also took a “golden share” in U.S. Steel as part of a deal to allow Nippon Steel to buy the U.S. industrial giant.
Intel shares are now up 19% this year after losing 60% of their value in 2024, the worst year on record for the chipmaker.
WATCH: Trump decision to allow chip sales to China is ‘reverse tariff’
Alexander Karp, chief executive officer and co-founder of Palantir Technologies Inc.
Scott Eelis | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Palantir‘s astronomical rise since its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange in a 2020 direct listing has been nothing short of a whirlwind.
Over nearly five years, the Denver-based company, whose cofounders include renowned venture capitalist Peter Thiel and current CEO Alex Karp, has surged more than 1,700%. At the same time, its valuation has broken new highs, dwarfing some of the world’s technology behemoths with far greater revenues.
The artificial intelligence-powered software company continued its ascent last week after posting its first quarter with more than $1 billion in revenue, reaching new highs and soaring past a $430 billion market valuation.
Shares haven’t been below $100 since April 2025. The stock last traded below $10 in May 2023, before beginning a steady climb higher.
Retail investors are a key part of the stock’s strength.
Last month, retail poured $1.2 billion into Palantir stock, according to data from Goldman Sachs.
Here’s a closer look at Palantir’s growth over the last five years and how the company compares to megacap peers.
Government money
Government contracts have been one of Palantir’s biggest growth areas since its inception.
Last quarter, the company’s U.S. government revenue grew 53% to $426 million. Government accounted for 55% of the company’s total revenue but commercial is showing promise. Those revenues in the U.S. grew 93% last quarter, Palantir said.
Still, one of the company’s oldest customers is the U.S. Army.
Earlier this month, the company inked a contract worth up to $10 billion for data and software to streamline efficiencies and meet growing military needs. In May, the Department of Defense boosted its agreement with Palantir for AI-powered battlefield capabilities by $795 million.
“We still believe America is the leader of the free world, that the West is superior,” Karp said on an earnings call earlier this month. “We have to fight for these values; we should give American corporations, and, most importantly, our government, an unfair advantage.”
Beyond the U.S.
The U.S. has been a key driver of Palantir’s growth, especially as the company scoops up more contracts with the U.S. military.
Palantir said the U.S. currently accounts for about three-quarters of total revenues. Commercial international revenues declined 3% last quarter and analysts have raised concerns about that segment’s growth trajectory.
Over the last five years, U.S. revenues have nearly quintupled from $156 million to about $733 million. Revenues outside the U.S. have doubled from about $133 million to $271 million.
Paying a premium
Palantir’s market capitalization has rapidly ascended over the last year as investors bet on its AI tools, while its stock has soared nearly 500%.
The meteoric rise placed Palantir among the top 10 U.S. tech firms and top 20 most valuable U.S. companies. But Palantir makes a fraction of the revenue of the companies in those lists.
Last quarter, Palantir reported more than $1 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time, and its forward price-to-earnings ratio has surged past 280 times.
By comparison, Apple and Microsoft posted revenue of $94 billion and $76 billion during the period, respectively, and carry a PE ratio of nearly 30 times.
Forward PE is a valuation metric that compares a company’s future earnings to its current share price. The higher the PE, the higher the growth expectations or the more overvalued the asset. A lower price-to-earnings ratio suggests slower growth or an undervalued asset.
Most of the Magnificent Seven stocks, except for Nvidia and Tesla, have a forward PE that hovers around the 20s and 30s. Nvidia trades at more than 40 times forward earnings, while Tesla’s sits at about 198 times.
At these levels, investors are paying a jacked-up premium to own shares of one of the hottest AI stocks on Wall Street as its valuation has skyrocketed to astronomical heights.
“This is a once-in-a-generation, truly anomalous quarter, and we’re very proud,” Karp said on an earnings call following Palantir’s second-quarter results. “We’re sorry that our haters are disappointed, but there are many more quarters to be disappointed.”
CNBC’s Gabriel Cortes contributed to this story.
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