The safe degree wobbles

Computer science and economics were the reliable bets for a well-paid graduate job. New UK data on recent graduates suggests both are losing ground.

Coding fell fastest

Coding and software development were the fastest-falling graduate occupations last year, according to data compiled for the 2027 Guardian University Guide.

From 40% to 28%

The share of computer science graduates landing professional jobs as coders or programmers dropped from around 40% to just 28%. Any graduate-level job: down from over 60% to 50%.

“With AI providing such responsive and cheap grunt work in this field, it's hard not to conclude that this is behind the trend”

350,000 graduates, surveyed

The figures come from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, which asked more than 350,000 former students about their careers 15 months after finishing in 2024.

Nobody will say AI did it

Labour market analysts see the shift but stop short of blaming AI outright. Some graduates are moving sideways into cybersecurity and network engineering instead.

“While I'm reluctant to say that AI did it, because there's little evidence, it's very hard to escape the conclusion that AI has played a role”

Finance changes jobs, not headcount

Most finance employers say they are reshaping roles rather than cutting them, and expect new hires to already know their way around AI tools. A few are cutting and hoping for an edge.

“Some have an appetite for risk and are embracing AI tools and laying people off, in the hope that it will give them an edge”

Universities scramble to adapt

Birmingham now lets undergraduates add a year in subjects like AI and data science without the usual prerequisites, and is building employer-demanded skills into existing courses.

“This is about equipping people for the world they are in, whether or not we like the world we are becoming”