Class of 2028 celebrates Declaration Day, computer science sees sharp decrease in majors

The Class of 2028 gathered Friday afternoon on Cannon Green to celebrate officially declaring their majors. Hundreds of students took part in the event, which featured orange and black departmental banners, balloons, and free food vendors. Students in the Class of 2028 pursuing an A.B. degree declared their majors this spring, while those pursuing B.S.E majors declared in the spring of their first year.

Beyond the celebration, the Class of 2028’s major declarations show a significant shift away from computer science and toward majors in other engineering departments. The change at Princeton comes in the midst of a national shift away from the discipline, as advances in artificial intelligence and a flagging job market discourage students from pursuing degrees in computer science.

At Princeton, computer science has both an A.B. and B.S.E track. Students declaring the B.S.E. major decreased by 39 students compared to the Class of 2027, falling from 114 to 75. Sophomores pursuing the A.B. track dropped from 51 to 30 compared to the current junior class. Combined, the number of students pursuing computer science degrees decreased by 60 students over the past year, the steepest decline of any field over the two-year period.

The French and Italian department has also seen a major drop off in recent years, with only one major in the Class of 2028 compared to 19 in 2007. For the Class of 2028, history gained five students and philosophy gained seven students compared to the Class of 2027, a bright spot for the humanities and social sciences.

Economics remained the most popular major for the third year in a row, with 161 students, or 11.4 percent of the class, declaring the major. 

The School of Public and International Affairs followed closely at 139 students, a 5 student increase in the last year.

Molecular biology also saw a steep increase, from 47 students in the Class of 2027 to 75 students in the Class of 2028.

Meanwhile, engineering disciplines saw an increase in students from the Class of 2027 to 2028. Students in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering surged by 34 students, from 92 to 126, making it the third most popular major in the class. The mechanical and aerospace engineering department gained 21 students, rising from 63 to 84 students, while mathematics saw an increase of 20 declared majors compared to 2027. 

In terms of broad areas of study for the Class of 2028, the social sciences hold the largest percentage of majors at 34.2 percent, and engineering is next with 32.4 percent. The natural sciences have 19.9 percent, and the humanities have the lowest percentage of majors at 13.5 percent.

For sophomores on Cannon Green, Declaration Day commemorated their decision on what to major in.

Luca Difelice ’28, who declared SPIA, cited its breadth as its appeal. “The requirements are intentionally interdisciplinary,” he told The Daily Princetonian. “You can take operations research and financial engineering, politics, econ classes. There is a diversity of classes.” 

Bella Postel ’28, also a SPIA major, similarly said that she chose it  “mainly because it is very interdisciplinary.”

Postel also reflected on Declaration Day more broadly. “[It] is kind of a bittersweet celebration,” she told the ‘Prince.’ “It makes me reflect on where I was even two years ago.”

Sasha Berry ’28, who declared economics after considering multiple majors, told the ‘Prince,’ “I think that it’s really exciting that we have had the past two years to explore different majors.” She also noted that “it’s nice to settle on something.” Beatrice Cassidy ’28, who plans to write her senior thesis in economics on a topic she hopes connects directly to real-world markets, stated simply, “I’m excited to do the real stuff.”

Lecturer Henry Shim in the economics department, who has watched many Declaration Days pass, recognized many faces. “I remember when they took ECO 100 or 101 as a freshman or a sophomore,” he told the ‘Prince.’ “This year, I think we have a really good bunch.”

Many students reflected on how exploration throughout their first two years at Princeton led them to declare a major completely different from what they initially intended to study.

Emma von Scheliha ’28 arrived at Princeton intending to pursue molecular biology as a pre-med student before finding her way to anthropology. “I did not want to do my research in a lab,” she said. A single course last semester, ANT 311: Food, Culture, and Society with professor Hanna Garth, redirected her entirely.

Theodore Peebles ’28 nearly declared civil and environmental engineering before a conversation at the gym pushed him toward electrical and computer engineering (ECE). “My friend was like, why are you doing something you hate?” he recalled. “I thought, ‘he is right.’” Peebles is now part of the increase in ECE majors this year.

Daisy Yao ’28, who declared music, had long assumed she would major in math. “I felt like music is something I’m really good at and wanted to pursue,” she told the ‘Prince.’

Dean Miller ’28, now a physics major, arrived at Declaration Day with two competing feelings. Physics, he said, had been “extremely difficult,” but “seeing it formalized and standing in front of the sign feels more concrete and like all my efforts and late nights have been building up towards my major.” 

Miller was mildly underwhelmed by the event itself, having expected something more ceremonial. “It’s kind of like a bunch of friends walking around,” he said. “I feel so hype with my physics majors. I wish there was a time for the physics majors to meet. A bunch of other majors had a specific time to take a photo, but physics did not.”

Emilia Reay ’28 was among the least conflicted. She has known since high school that she would study Spanish at Princeton, drawn to it because “the department is such a family” and her ambition to become a bilingual sports broadcaster. 

Reay is a senior Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’

“Declaration day is a formality,” she said, standing near her department’s banner. “I wanted to hold the banner and wear the sweater; and now, I am. I’m over the moon right now.”

Daphne Lewis is a staff News writer for the ‘Prince.’ She is from Washington, D.C. and can be reached at dl1424[at]princeton.edu.

Vanessa Catalano is a News contributor for the ‘Prince.’ She is from Los Angeles and can be reached at vc6233[at]princeton.edu.

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.