A computer science degree used to be seen as a clear path to a well-paying career. Is it still worth it in an age of AI?

Computer science involves much more than writing code. It blends technical knowledge —like programming, algorithms and data systems — with soft skills, such as communication and problem-solving.

When we discourage young people from learning to code or pursuing computer science, we limit their agency and abilities in a world where tech literacy is increasingly essential across all industries.

OpenAI chairman Bret Taylor said that the computer science degree's greatest value is teaching "systems thinking" in the age of AI code editors.

Mikeie Reiland is a staff writer for Education at Forbes Advisor. Before coming to Forbes Advisor, he wrote magazine journalism for publications like the Oxford American, Bitter Southerner, and Gravy.

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