Nearly half of American students are considering changing majors because of the impact of artificial intelligence, according to a survey.
According to Axios, the Lumina Foundation and Gallup survey shows that AI is not only influencing how students learn, but also the fields they choose to study. So, 14% of students thought “very much” and 33% “quite a bit” about changing their major because of AI.
The proportion is higher among men (60%) than among women (38%).
The proportion is also higher in fields such as technology (70%) and vocational training (71%), compared to business (54%), humanities (54%) or engineering (52%). Last but not least, 16% of students have already changed their major because of AI.
“Even if you don’t agree with AI, that’s where the future is headed”says Christina Eid, a student at American University in Washington DC
If in 2024 only 12% of students said that employers ask them about AI skills, in 2025 the percentage reached 30%. She says she’s been asked about AI in all recent interviews.
Although students are preparing for the impact of AI, 42% say their institutions discourage the use of AI in academic work. So, 11% say that the use of AI is prohibited, and 7% that it is encouraged.
Even where AI is discouraged or banned, many students use it regularly.
“I don’t understand who it can affect negatively or positively. There they will suffer the most”, says Courtney Brown, vice president at the Lumina Foundation, a US-based NGO that deals with education and education policy.
The Lumina-Gallup study is based on an online survey conducted between October 2 and 31, 2025, of a sample of 3,801 undergraduate or college students.
