Popular College Majors Face High Unemployment Rates

Computer science, engineering, and social sciences see jobless rates in the high single digits despite high enrollment.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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According to data from the New York Fed and the National Center for Education Statistics, some of the most popular college majors in the U.S. are also facing high unemployment rates, with computer science, engineering, and social sciences seeing jobless rates in the high single digits despite having over 100,000 graduates each year.

Why it matters

The rising cost of college education has made a degree an increasingly unaffordable investment for many Americans, yet it is still seen as a necessary pathway into many careers. The high unemployment rates in some of the most popular majors raise questions about the value and return on investment of a college degree.

The details

Computer and information sciences, one of the most popular majors, saw over 108,000 bachelor's degrees conferred in 2021-22 but had a 6.1% unemployment rate. Engineering, another field seen as stable and lucrative, had over 123,000 graduates that year but faced a 7.5% unemployment rate in computer engineering. Social sciences and history, with over 150,000 graduates, saw unemployment rates of 9.4% for anthropology and 6.7% for sociology.

  • In the 2021-22 academic year, over 108,000 bachelor's degrees were earned in computer and information sciences.
  • In the 2021-22 academic year, over 123,000 bachelor's degrees were earned in engineering.
  • In the 2021-22 academic year, over 150,000 bachelor's degrees were earned in the social sciences and history fields.

The players

Kevin Thompson

The CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast.

Drew Powers

The founder of the Powers Financial Group.

Alex Beene

A financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin.

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What they’re saying

“We're already seeing computer science and IT roles being replaced, albeit poorly, by automation.”

— Kevin Thompson, CEO of 9i Capital Group and host of the 9innings podcast (Newsweek)

“Majors like anthropology and sociology have had employment pressures for decades. These two majors can be viewed as too broad to be directly applicable in certain sectors. Newer to the top of the unemployed ranks are majors like engineering and computer and information systems.”

— Drew Powers, Founder of the Powers Financial Group (Newsweek)

“It is undoubtedly maddening to many students, educators, and parents who have invested in promoting computer science and engineering careers over the last decade that professions in those career pathways now find themselves with higher rates of unemployment.”

— Alex Beene, Financial literacy instructor, University of Tennessee at Martin (Newsweek)

What’s next

Beene said some students who choose these majors will still be able to develop their skills and potentially avoid some of the fallbacks associated with the areas of study, as many universities have not yet developed dedicated AI-based majors, allowing students to use their instruction to boost their resumes when entering the workplace.

The takeaway

The high unemployment rates in some of the most popular college majors, including computer science, engineering, and social sciences, raise concerns about the value and return on investment of a college degree, especially as the cost of higher education continues to rise for many Americans.