Are students changing direction? Computer science on the decline - social work on the rise

An analysis by the Aisef Foundation of approximately 21,000 scholarship applications reveals: social work doubled its share to 6.1%, computer science dropped from 14.8% to 10.2%, and engineering remained the leading field with about a quarter of applications.

An analysis of approximately 21,000 scholarship applications to the Aisef Foundation over eight years (2020-2027) indicates a shift in academic preferences among the foundation's candidates. Social work doubled its share from 3.2% to 6.1%, and it is the only field of study where the number of candidates at the end of the period is higher than at the beginning. Medicine and health professions also strengthened, rising from 9.6% to 12.7%. Conversely, computer science and software engineering dropped from 14.8% to 10.2% - a decline of about a third. Engineering remained the largest field with about a quarter of applications. The foundation emphasizes that the data does not allow determining that the war led to the change. The foundation's CEO, Galit Caspi Cohen, said the challenge today is to ensure young people know how to build a suitable career path.