For the second straight year, enrollment by students in computer science degree programs has increased. Students who declared computer science to be their academic majors increased by 5.5% in 2009 from the previous year. In 2008, enrollment increased by 6.2% from the previous year.

These numbers indicate a trend in rising interest in computer science programs after six years of decreasing enrollment. From 2001 to 2007, popularity in computer science programs declined and enrollment dropped steadily. This was caused by primarily two factors: the dot.com bubble-burst of the late 90s and the recent scare of off-shoring jobs to other countries.

But the increase in enrollment in recent years has been fueled by factors which paint a more promising job outlook for the information technology and computer science industries. Increased investment in technology by both private industry and government has lead to more demand for computer-related jobs. In addition, the rise of cost in other countries has actually made it more efficient to hire IT professionals domestically.

In addition, promising new technologies such as cloud-computing and the success of Web 2.0 and emergence of Web 3.0 have forged new markets where demand for people skilled in technology will continue to grow. New devices such as smart-phones (Blackberry, Android, iPhone) and Tablet PCs (iPad) have created exciting opportunities for aspiring developers. This growth has lead to the emergence a number of related fields that specialize in specific aspects of information technology such as software engineering & architecture, web & graphic design, business information systems, and computer security, each requiring a different set of skills.

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