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.
U.S. President Donald Trump (right) and C.C. Wei, chief executive officer of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (left), shake hands during an announcement of an additional $100 billion into TSMC’s U.S. manufacturing at the White House in Washington, DC, U.S., on March 3, 2025.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The latest version of U.S. President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill” could make it cheaper for semiconductor manufacturers to build plants in the U.S. as Washington continues its efforts to strengthen its domestic chip supply chain.
Under the bill, passed by the Senate Tuesday, tax credits for those semiconductor firms would rise to 35% from 25%. That’s more than the 30% increase that had made it into a draft version of the bill.
Companies eligible for the credits could include chipmakers such as Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and Micron Technology, provided that they expand their advanced manufacturing in the U.S. ahead of a 2026 deadline.
The new provisions expand on tax incentives under the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, which provided grants of $39 billion and loans of $75 billion for U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturing projects.
But before the expanded credits come into play, Trump’s sweeping domestic policy package will have to be passed again in the House, which narrowly passed its own version last month. The president has urged lawmakers to get the bill passed by July 4.
Trump versus Biden
Since Trump’s first term, Washington has been trying to onshore more of the advanced semiconductor supply chain from Asia, support its domestic players and limit China’s capabilities.
Although tax provisions in Trump’s sweeping policy bill expand on those in the Biden administration’s CHIPS Act, his overall approach to the semiconductor industry has been different.
Earlier this year, the president even called for a repeal of the CHIPS Act, though Republican lawmakers have been reluctant to act on that front. Still, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said last month that the administration was renegotiating some of the Biden administration’s grants.
Trump has previously stated that tariffs, as opposed to the CHIPS Act grants, would be the best method of onshoring semiconductor production. The Trump administration is currently conducting an investigation into imports of semiconductor technology, which could result in new duties on the industry.
In recent months, a number of chipmakers with projects in the U.S. have ramped up planned investments there. That includes the world’s largest contract chipmaker, TSMC, as well as American chip companies such as Nvidia, Micron and GlobalFoundries.
According to Daniel Newman, CEO at tech advisory firm Futurum Group, the threat of Trump’s tariffs has created more urgency for semiconductor companies to expand U.S. capacity. If the increased investment tax credits come into law, those onshoring efforts are only expected to accelerate, he told CNBC.
“Given the risk of tariffs, increasing manufacturing in the U.S. remains a key consideration for these large semiconductor companies,” Newman said, adding that the tax credits could be seen as an opportunity to offset certain costs related to U.S.-based projects.
Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., during a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa’s president, not pictured, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
Jim Lo Scalzo | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Tesla shares have dropped 7% from Friday’s closing price of $323.63 to the $300.71 close on Tuesday ahead of the company’s second-quarter deliveries report.
Wall Street analysts are expecting Tesla to report deliveries of around 387,000 — a 13% decline compared to deliveries of nearly 444,000 a year ago, according to a consensus compiled by FactSet. Prediction market Kalshi told CNBC on Tuesday that its traders forecast deliveries of around 364,000.
Shares in the electric vehicle maker had been rising after Tesla started a limited robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, in late June and CEO Elon Musk boasted of its first “driverless delivery” of a car to a customer there.
The stock price took a turn after Musk on Saturday reignited a feud with President Donald Trump over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the massive spending bill that the commander-in-chief endorsed. The bill is now heading for a final vote in the House.
That legislation would benefit higher-income households in the U.S. while slashing spending on programs such as Medicaid and food assistance.
Musk did not object to cuts to those specific programs. However, Musk on X said the bill would worsen the U.S. deficit and raise the debt ceiling. The bill includes tax cuts that would add around $3 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, according to an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office.
The Tesla CEO has also criticized aspects of the bill that would cut hundreds of billions of dollars in support for renewable energy development in the U.S. and phase out tax credits for electric vehicles.
Such changes could hurt Tesla as they are expected to lower EV sales by roughly 100,000 vehicles per year by 2035, according to think tank Energy Innovation.
The bill is also expected to reduce renewable energy development by more than 350 cumulative gigawatts in that same time period, according to Energy Innovation. That could pressure Tesla’s Energy division, which sells solar and battery energy storage systems to utilities and other clean energy project developers.
Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that Musk was, “upset that he’s losing his EV mandate,” but that the tech CEO could “lose a lot more than that.” Trump was alluding to the subsidies, incentives and contracts that Musk’s many businesses have relied on.
SpaceX has received over $22 billion from work with the federal government since 2008, according to FedScout, which does federal spending and government contract research. That includes contracts from NASA, the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, among others.
Tesla has reported $11.8 billion in sales of “automotive regulatory credits,” or environmental credits, since 2015, according to an evaluation of the EV maker’s financial filings by Geoff Orazem, CEO of FedScout.
These incentives are largely derived from federal and state regulations in the U.S. that require automakers to sell some number of low-emission vehicles or buy credits from companies like Tesla, which often have an excess.
Regulatory credit sales go straight to Tesla’s bottom line. Credit revenue amounted to approximately 60% of Tesla’s net income in the second quarter of 2024.
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