AI is making college students change majors
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Nearly half of college students say they've thought at least a fair amount about changing their major or studies because of AI's potential impact, according to newly released polling.
The big picture: College graduates are entering a job market that's been rocked by a massive tech evolution, reshaping career prospects for entry-level workers.
- And as the new survey from Lumina Foundation and Gallup notes, AI isn't just impacting how academics study — it's also determining the studies they pursue.
By the numbers: Among currently enrolled college students, 14% have thought "a great deal" and 33% have thought "a fair amount" about changing their major or field of study because of the effect AI may have on the job market or on specific industries, the polling found.
- That thinking is higher among male students (60%) than among female students (38%) and among those studying technology (70%) and vocational fields (71%) compared to others, like business (54%), humanities (54%) and engineering (52%).
- 16% of students have changed their major because of the impact AI might have, a trend that is higher among men (21%) than women (12%) and in vocational (26%) and tech (25%) majors.
What they're saying: Christina Eid, an American University senior majoring in business administration with a specialization in marketing, runs an annual survey on students' interactions with AI.
- Eid says her generation has no choice but to experiment with AI. In 2024, 12% of students said potential employers had asked them asked about their ability to use AI in the workplace, according to her survey of AU Kogod School of Business undergrad and grad students.
- In 2025, that stat hit 30%. In all of her own recent job interviews, Eid says she's been asked about her AI skills.
- Even if you don't agree with AI, "that's where our future is headed," Eid says.
Threat level: Despite students bracing for post-grad impact, 42% say students at their college are discouraged from using AI in their coursework, other than in a few circumstances.
- Just 11% say their institution prohibits students from using AI in their coursework, while 7% say students at their college are encouraged to use AI as much as possible.
- At colleges where students are generally discouraged from using AI, 15% of students use it daily, 33% weekly and 12% monthly. Even at schools where it is prohibited, 10% use it daily and 17% weekly.
Between the lines: Courtney Brown, vice president of impact and planning at Lumina Foundation, says her main fear of institutions failing to teach students about AI is not that they won't know how to use the tools, but that they won't understand its biases and broader implications.
- "They don't understand who it could hurt or help," she tells Axios. "And that's where they're going to be harmed the most."
The bottom line: Students are entering a world of AI, yet colleges' approaches toward the tech are uneven: Some remain hesitant, while others are all in.
- Eid says her college has pushed students to learn about AI, but even if institutions aren't encouraging students "it really is up to you on how prepared you are."
- Her advice for students and institutions who are wary of embracing AI is simple: "Get on with it."
Methodology: Results for the Lumina-Gallup study are based on web surveys conducted Oct. 2-31, 2025, with a sample of 3,801 adults who are pursuing an associate or bachelor's degree.
Go deeper: Teachers warn AI is impacting students' critical thinking
