47% of college students have seriously considered changing majors due to AI: Survey
Nearly one in six college students say they are changing their major or field of study due to concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on the job market, according to survey results. Lumina Foundation-Gallup 2026 State of Higher Education Survey.
The survey was conducted online in October 2025 among 3,801 U.S. students ages 18 to 59 pursuing a bachelor’s or associate’s degree. It found that 13% of bachelor’s degree students said they had already changed their major or field of study because of AI, while 19% of associate’s degree students reported the same.
What’s more, about 47% of all college students (about 42% of undergraduates and 56% of associates) say they’ve considered changing their major at least a “fair amount” because of AI.
The survey findings show that AI is changing the way students “think about their future,” according to Courtney Brown, vice president of impact and planning at the Lumina Foundation.
“They hear a lot in the media about AI taking over all these jobs,” he says, which leaves students wondering “whether they’re going to get value for the time and money they spent getting these degrees.”
The #1 reason why students change tracks
Students worry their degrees won’t lead to valid careers, Brown says career opportunities. They ask themselves the following question: “What major should I take that will enable me to find a job when I leave?” he says.
Associate’s degree students were much more likely to change majors than undergraduates; This, Brown hypothesizes, is because “credentials are more closely linked to current needs in the workforce.”
The problem for both groups is that students aren’t quite sure which majors will remain “relevant in the AI world,” he says.
Students in technology and professional fields say they rate changing majors as “very important,” with 27% and 17%, respectively. But Brown points out that these students are also more likely to say: already He switched to technology and profession branches.
These results may seem “like a paradox,” but they accurately reflect students’ uncertainty about which degrees will work in the current job market, he says. “They’re not sure what they should do. Should they get into technology? Should they stay away from technology?” Brown says. “None of us are really sure what AI will do.”
Focus on learning ‘resilient skills’
Artificial intelligence also plays a role in students deciding whether to pursue higher education. Nearly one in seven students say the most important reason they are enrolling in a degree program is to prepare for technological advances, including artificial intelligence, while 12% point to concerns about the potential impact of artificial intelligence on the job market as a factor, according to the survey.
As a result, Brown says, students are making “high-stakes decisions” about AI and their future careers without “clear guidance” from their schools.
Still, Brown emphasizes that no matter what major you choose, higher education still provides irreplaceable skills such as “communication, critical thinking, the ability to work in groups, the ability to question, analyze and synthesize.”
“We know that workforce and technology [are] “People will need to continue to upskill and reskill even after they get a degree, but having some of those lasting skills will really help them.”
Do you want to lead with confidence and bring out the best in your team? Take CNBC’s new online course, How to Become a Stand Out Leader?. Expert trainers share practical strategies to help you build confidence, communicate clearly, and motivate others to do their best. Sign up today!
