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07

Education

Education, Skills

This chapter assesses how AI is reshaping education systems and what it means  for teaching, learning, and career readiness. 

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All Chapters

  • Back to Overview
  • 01Research and Development
  • 02Technical Performance
  • 03Responsible AI
  • 04Economy
  • 05Science
  • 06Medicine
  • 07Education
  • 08Policy and Governance
  • 09Public Opinion

1. CS enrollment fell 11% at U.S. four-year universities between 2024 and 2025, but AI-related graduate programs continued to grow.

Master's graduates in AI software-related fields rose 17% from 2023 to 2024, suggesting that demand for AI specialization is holding up even as broader CS enrollment cools.

Line charts showing new AI-related postsecondary graduates in the United States from 2014–2024, split into AI-software-related and AI-hardware-related fields. Software-related graduates rose across all degree levels, especially master’s and PhD programs; hardware-related graduates peaked around 2019–20 and then declined or stayed relatively flat.

2. The U.S. remains a global leader in producing information, communications, and technology (ICT) graduates at all degree levels, but other countries are growing faster.

Turkey, Brazil, and Mexico have increased their ICT graduate output more rapidly in recent years.

Horizontal bar chart comparing new ICT bachelor’s graduates in 2022 and 2023 across 15 countries. The United States has the highest total in both years, followed by Brazil. Most countries show growth from 2022 to 2023, while Korea, Romania, and Chile show small declines.

3. Four out of five U.S. high school and college students now use AI for schoolwork, while school policies have not kept pace.

Only half of middle and high schools have AI policies, and just 6% of teachers say those policies are clear. Students most commonly use generative AI for research, essay editing, and brainstorming.

Dumbbell chart comparing the share of university students who used generative AI to support their studies in 2023 and 2025 across 15 countries. Use increased in every country. Indonesia has the highest 2025 rate at 95%, while the United States and United Kingdom have the lowest at 67%. The largest increase is in Mexico, rising from 33% in 2023 to 83% in 2025.

4. More than 90% of countries now offer computer science to primary or secondary students, but AI education has been slower to take hold.

China and the United Arab Emirates both mandated AI education starting with the 2025-26 school year, signaling a shift toward formal AI instruction at the national level.

World map showing computer science education availability by country in 2025. Dark blue indicates CS is mandatory; lighter blues indicate elective or limited availability.

5. The number of new AI PhDs in the United States and Canada rose 22% from 2022 to 2024, but the share going to industry has stayed flat.

All of the growth has gone to academia, reversing a decade-long trend of new AI PhDs flowing primarily into industry roles.

Line chart showing employment sectors for new AI PhDs in the United States and Canada from 2010 to 2024. Industry employs the largest share, reaching 62.75% in 2024, followed by academia at 31.59%; government remains below 5% throughout.

6. People are acquiring AI skills outside formal education, and advertising AI skills in their resumes.

AI literacy has grown faster than engineering-oriented AI skills in most countries. The United Arab Emirates, Chile, and South Africa are exceptions, where engineering skills show steeper growth since 2022.

Small-multiple line charts showing AI skills diffusion by geography from 2016 to 2025, comparing all AI skills with AI engineering skills. Most countries show growth over time, with especially sharp increases in AI engineering skills in recent years.

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