Is a Software‑Engineering Degree Still Worth It? A 2025 Perspective

It has been fashionable over the past decade to tell every young person to “learn to code.” Universities responded by expanding computer‑science departments, and from 2005 to 2023 the number of U.S. comp‑sci majors quadrupled. Yet in 2025, enthusiasm has cooled. National enrolment growth this year was just 0.2%, and some top programmes expect their graduating cohorts to shrink. At Princeton, the computer‑science chair predicts a 25% smaller graduating class within two years. A Duke survey found that enrolment in introductory comp‑sci courses has dropped 20%. With generative‑AI tools writing code and Big Tech hiring fewer interns, many students—and their parents—are asking whether a traditional software‑engineering degree still makes sense.

This article weighs the pros and cons from the perspective of mid‑2025. I examine the job market, salary trends, tuition costs, dropout rates, alternative paths such as bootcamps, AI’s influence on coding careers and the intangible benefits a degree can confer. My goal is not to push one path but to equip you with data and context to make an informed choice.

The job market: short‑term pain, long‑term optimism

Recent headlines have been discouraging. A SignalFire report quoted by The San Francisco Standard found that hiring of new graduates by the 15 largest tech companies has fallen by more than 50% since 2019. Before the pandemic, new grads comprised roughly 15% of Big‑Tech hires; now they account for 7%. Companies squeezed by high interest rates and cautious investors are prioritising experienced engineers over juniors. The same article quotes a Berkeley professor who says that, at start‑ups, “the only type of employee anybody’s interested in hiring is a relatively heavyweight senior person”. When supply outruns demand, entry‑level wages stagnate; Lemon.io’s payroll analysis shows developers’ base pay rose 24 % between 2018 and 2024, while overall U.S. wages grew 30%.

Despite these headwinds, long‑term data tell a different story. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists software developers among the fastest‑growing occupations, projecting 17% employment growth from 2023 to 2033 and 327,900 new jobs. Median pay is high—about $133,000 in 2024—and the unemployment rate remains low (2.4% according to U.S. News). Global IT spending is also expected to rise; Deloitte predicts 9.3% growth in 2025, with the software market reaching $743 billion. Tech hiring has always been cyclical: downturns scare students away, leading to shortages and salary spikes later. MIT professor Sam Madden argues that generative AI will ultimately create more engineering jobs because companies need people who understand algorithms and can integrate AI responsibly.

Tuition and opportunity cost

What you’ll pay

In Canada, average undergraduate tuition for domestic students in 2024/25 is $7,360, while international students pay $40,114. In British Columbia—the author’s home province—domestic undergrads pay about $6,607 and international students $37,184. A full‑time computer‑science student at the University of British Columbia pays roughly $6,079 per year; an international student pays $51,040.

U.S. costs are steeper. EducationData.org estimates that attending an in‑state public university costs about $27,146 per year, including living expenses. Private nonprofit universities average $58,628. CollegeTuitionCompare reports average computer‑science tuition of $33,606; in‑state students pay around $10,154. Factor in four years of lost earnings and potential interest on loans, and the total can exceed $229,000.

The cost of quitting

Not everyone who starts finishes. MissionGraduateNM calculates that 32.9% of college students drop out each year and that the first‑year dropout rate is 19%. Computer science has the highest attrition: 10.7% of CS majors quit. Financial pressures are the main reason—30% of dropouts cite money issues—but Wawiwa Tech notes that many students overestimate the glamour and underestimate the math. They lose motivation when they encounter proofs, algorithm analysis and long debugging sessions. Others struggle because they lack quantitative skills or are afraid to ask for help. Nearly 38% of all college dropouts report financial hardship, and among those who do finish, some are disappointed when entry‑level jobs are scarce.

Mental health is another hidden cost. A 2025 BairesDev survey found that 87% of remote developers report better mental health and 90% more productivity. In contrast, many full‑time students juggle part‑time work, all‑night coding sessions and imposter syndrome. Moodle’s Burnout Report 2025 indicates that 66% of American employees feel burned out; students aren’t immune.

Note: The first ~5 minutes of this video focus heavily on the challenges and risks ahead (a bit of “doom and gloom”), but stick with it—after that, the conversation shifts to an optimistic view of how AI and computer science can grow and thrive together in the future.

The intangible benefits of a degree

Beyond employment statistics, a software‑engineering degree offers advantages that a short course cannot replicate:

• Strong theoretical foundation: University curricula teach algorithms, data structures, operating systems, discrete mathematics and software engineering principles. These topics build transferable problem‑solving skills. When frameworks or languages change—as they inevitably do—graduates can adapt more easily.
• Access to research and advanced roles: Many research positions, graduate programmes and government jobs require an accredited degree. If you aspire to design AI models, build compilers or work on aerospace systems, you’ll likely need formal qualifications.
• Networking and mentorship: Four years spent with peers and professors can yield lasting relationships. Professors may recommend internships or research projects, and classmates often become coworkers or co‑founders. Bootcamps offer networking too, but the community is smaller and time‑bound.
• Credential signal: A degree still carries weight with many employers and immigration systems. Some companies filter applicants based on accreditation; certain countries use education level in their points‑based visa systems. Even if the industry gradually shifts to skills‑based hiring, a degree won’t hurt.
• Soft‑skill development: University projects require teamwork, technical writing and presentations. David Deming, a Harvard economist, points out that liberal‑arts majors sometimes out‑earn engineers because they cultivate soft skills that employers consistently value. A CS degree can deliver both technical depth and communication skills.

These benefits come at a cost of time and money, but they may position graduates to weather market cycles and pivot into new roles created by AI.

Putting it all together

To decide whether a software‑engineering degree is worth pursuing, weigh your personal goals, resources and tolerance for risk:

Factor	Notes	Key Data
Financial capacity	If you can afford tuition and living expenses without crippling debt, a degree offers long‑term flexibility. Domestic Canadian tuition is around $6k–$7k per year; international students pay much more. U.S. public universities cost about $27k per year, private ones about $59k.	High dropout rates are often due to finances: 30% of students leave for money‑related reasons.
Career aspirations	Want to build AI models, work on distributed systems or research robotics? A degree may be essential. Looking to pivot quickly into web development or IT support? A bootcamp plus portfolio might suffice.	BLS projects 17% growth for developers, while bootcamps report 89% job placement within six months.
Risk tolerance	Entry‑level hiring has halved since 2019, but tech employment cycles historically recover. Are you comfortable investing four years in the midst of a downturn?	New grads now comprise 7% of Big‑Tech hires.
Learning style	Do you prefer structured coursework and theoretical depth, or can you thrive in a self‑directed, fast‑paced bootcamp? Misaligned expectations and lack of math skills are common causes of CS dropouts	10.7 % of CS majors quit.
Mental‑health needs	University life can be intense; remote learning or part‑time study may be healthier for some.	87 % of remote developers report improved mental health.

Is Software Engineering Still Worth It in 2025?

Hi, I hope that you are doing well. This will probably be my last article for 2024, and I hope you had a great year. I had an interesting year, I would say—a lot of downs and bad, but thankfully, I think I am ending it on a high note, so I’m particularly happy about the achievements and what I accomplished this year. So, I wanted to share what I think will make you a better developer in 2025. I plan to discuss many things, including AI. You have people laid off every Friday. There are a lot of layoffs. Many companies are asking right now for people with better skills; developers are not wanted anymore (That’s a cap, by the way ). Is it worth learning software engineering in 2025? These are normal questions you should ask yourself, which is true. How do you ensure you can still live as a software engineer and not be replaced?

The Impact of AI on Software Engineering

First, let’s talk about the big boy in the room. Recently, your employer can finally employ AI for $500 monthly and replace you. They will finally be able to communicate with it quickly, ask it precisely what they need it to do, and get results without the usual back-and-forth. AI won’t say, “We can’t do this; that will take time.” I think this is a perfect tool for product managers. It’s a slave. If someone is told, This is exactly what I want, execute it. I’m telling you guys, this is exactly what they wish to… Anyway, let’s calm down with the jokes. But you understand that we talk a lot about being replaced by AI. If you had told me three years ago that we would be at the stage of OpenAI, ChatGPT, Devin, and many other tools right now, I would have said, No, you are tripping. Give me at least ten years.” But the thing is, we are moving so much faster, to the point where many things are happening right now. So, the first question is: will AI take over your job as a software engineer? Suppose you are only a coder or a programmer, maybe if you are a beginner. The thing is, software engineering is not only about coding. Coding represents about 30% to 40% of the work; the rest involves communication, planning, and ensuring the work benefits the company.

The easiest part of software engineering is actually writing the code. The harder part is understanding what to write, why to write it, and whether it’s necessary to write it at all.

Becoming a Better Software Engineer

Let’s be honest, there’s a lot of things you can do in just one week, but it takes a lot of meetings, a lot of delays, because you have to think about things like: Does adding this feature to the application actually create value? So those are a lot of questions you have to ask yourself as a software engineer. Can AI ask those questions? Can AI talk to the manager and explain why we should or shouldn’t add this feature and how it might affect the project or the users? Will AI be able to come up with its ideas and put them out there to be helpful? We already know that in terms of creativity, technically, AI cannot do that. AI is quite capable of creativity, as my interpretation of creativity is copying. In my view, everything has already been invented. We are just building upon things. So technically, AI can be creative, but let’s not go there.

Preparing for the Future of Software Engineering

So my advice is: instead of being just a programmer, try to be a software engineer. At the end of the day, we are creating tools that will help people. You must learn to review code, understand architecture, and contribute to high-level design decisions. ️ You should also learn how to make money as a software engineer. There are a lot of things you should learn to do to become a better software engineer. I understand that in some years, we might disappear—maybe I’m wrong here. But I don’t think AI can be a great software engineer right now. So, if you are a good software engineer, you should not fear AI. Naturally, learn about the tool. Learn about AI. Don’t be afraid to jump into it, try out stuff, and be enthusiastic about the change. Because I think the sooner you embrace it, the better you’ll understand it while you move to something else. Many inventions have appeared in the world and replaced jobs. For example, people used to deliver newspapers, but with the rise of digital media, those roles became obsolete. However, many of those individuals transitioned into new opportunities within the same industry, such as digital content creation, logistics, or other technology-driven roles. They didn’t just disappear; they adapted, reskilled, and found ways to thrive in a changing world, often leveraging their existing knowledge in innovative ways. Eventually, they had to reinvent themselves—and that’s okay. After software engineering, I think something exciting awaits us. It will be much more interesting and complex than what we’re doing now. So don’t be negative about it; just be ready for it. Embrace it. The next step is to focus on building impactful projects. Let’s discuss how to become better software engineers.

Final Thoughts

Next step is building. Let’s talk about how to be better as a software engineer. Look, the market is savage right now. Even if you are a general developer, if you do not come to the market as someone who can set up a complex application, scale it, and maintain it, you are not a good engineer. I’m not telling you to lie or try to invent stuff, but the requirements to enter the domain are very high right now. Before stepping in, you need to know many things and have done some complex stuff. You indeed gain a lot of experience when you work in the field, but this is not exactly the case right now. They are waiting for you to have those notions already so you can come and apply them.

So how do you do that?

You have to create. And no, hell no. I’m not talking about to-do apps. I’m not talking about weather apps (Bro, this is not 2019 anymore) or simple visualization apps. You have to do something complex. When I talk about complex, I mean building something significant. It might be a social media app with AI features, a compiler, or something equally interesting. You can also try things like setting up a complicated infrastructure on AWS, simulating millions of requests to a server, and observing how it handles the load. There’s no excuse not to learn about scaling, handling infrastructure, and understanding how these things work. To see how it goes, you can reproduce existing architectures on a small scale. There’s no time to wait to learn these things. Take software engineering as a science. When approaching it this way, you realize you need theory and practice. Sometimes, you practice on your own, sometimes on other projects, but you have to practice. And you need to practice at a higher level than before. Build something for yourself. Build something for your learning. Do it, even if it’s a mini AWS or a mini data center set up in your apartment. Try to build. Try to really build. Now, on to making money as a software engineer. This might be complicated but don’t stress about it. It’s okay if you don’t know how to monetize your skills. But if you learn to make money as a software engineer, that’s fantastic. This is related to building things and putting them out there to sell. Look, you might fail nine times out of ten, but one success can be very rewarding. I make money by writing. I learn something, write about it, publish it, and people read it. Sometimes, I get thousands of views; sometimes, I struggle to crack 100 views. But at the end of the day, I feel happy about it. I also write for an agency, creating articles and content for companies. And I’m thinking of launching my products. So don’t stress about it— do something. Finally, I want to say this: we must consider ourselves scientists in a rapidly evolving domain. Be curious, embrace change, and keep learning. Focus on hope and perseverance.

Whatever you are going through, know that hope can be the answer.

It’s ingrained in us as humans—it’s how we survive. So keep learning, keep growing, and keep trying new things. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Let’s make 2025 a great year for growth as software engineers. Take care and see you next year. If you enjoyed this article and want more insights like this, subscribe to my newsletter for weekly tips, tutorials, and stories delivered straight to your inbox!

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https://dev.to/koladev/is-software-engineering-still-worth-it-in-2025-j3b