AI isn’t just changing how people work, it is also changing what students study in school, which college major they choose, and which jobs and careers they’re chasing afterwards. A new CNBC and SurveyMonkey Q3 2026 AI & Jobs Survey, published August 19, 2026, found that students are recalibrating their career plans faster than the rest of the workforce. They are reconsidering college majors, target industries, job applications, and whether college itself is still worth it.
Nearly a third of students have changed their career plans
Across the general workforce, roughly one in four workers say they’ve changed or considered changing their target industry because of AI.
Among students still in school, that number jumps to 31% – a clear sign that the AI-and-jobs conversation hits hardest at the college level, where career paths are still being decided. The ripple effects go deeper than just picking a different industry:
- 45% of students have changed or reconsidered which skills to develop
- 39% have considered changing their college major or field of study entirely
- 35% have reconsidered which companies they’re applying to for a job
- 34% have reconsidered which jobs and careers they’re applying for
For comparison, each of these figures is meaningfully higher among students than among the broader workforce. This suggests the anxiety (or opportunism) around AI is concentrated at the entry point of people’s careers, not spread evenly across it.
Which jobs and careers are students heading towards instead?
Among workers and students who switched or considered switching industries because of AI, the most popular ones were:
- Technology, media, and telecommunications — 23%
- Healthcare, education, and social assistance — 22%
- Construction, skilled trades, and utilities — 12%
That last figure lines up with another striking finding: one in five workers overall say they’re considering a move into a trade job or manual-labor profession specifically because they see it as more AI-resistant.
It’s a notable reversal of the decades-long push toward white-collar, degree-required careers. AI may be quietly reviving interest in the trades.
Is a college degree still worth it?
Opinion on college is genuinely split. According to the survey, 33% of students say AI has made college less worth it, almost exactly matched by the 30% who say a college degree is more worth it in the age of AI. It shows up again in how students feel about AI training in school:
- 30% think colleges should require AI courses for all students
- 48% think AI-readiness courses should remain optional in school and college
- 21% think AI courses should be required only for certain college majors
The bigger picture for school, college, and career planning
This survey builds on a string of similar findings throughout 2026. A Gallup-Lumina Foundation survey found that nearly half of college students had given serious thought to changing majors over AI job concerns. A Harvard Kennedy School poll found about 70% of students see AI as a threat to their job prospects. Taken together, the picture is consistent: students aren’t panicking, but they are actively hedging — adjusting college majors, in-demand skills, and target industries in real time as the job market shifts underneath them.
FAQ: AI, College, and the Job Market
How many students have changed their college major or career plans because of AI?
About 31% of students have changed or considered changing their target industry, and 39% have considered changing their college major or coursework, according to the CNBC/SurveyMonkey Q3 2026 survey.
Has AI made a college degree more or less valuable?
Students are nearly evenly split: 33% say AI has made college less worth it, while 30% say a college degree is more worth it because of AI.
Which jobs and industries are students moving toward because of AI? Technology/media/telecom (23%) and healthcare/education/social assistance (22%) are the top job destinations, followed by a notable shift toward skilled trades (12%) as an AI-resistant career path.
Should schools require AI courses?
Only 30% of students want AI courses required for all students; 48% want AI training to stay optional in school and college, and 21% want it required only for specific majors.
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