More students pursuing computer science

WASHINGTON, March 18 (UPI) -- The number of U.S. college students pursuing degrees in computer science has jumped for the first time since the dot-com bust, says a trade association.

The Computing Research Association, which represents about 200 university computing departments, says the number of students majoring in computer science rose 8 percent during the 2007-08 school year, USA Today reported Wednesday.

The increase is expected to ease concerns within the tech industry that the United States is falling behind countries such as India and China when it comes to training computer scientists, the newspaper said.

"The perception that (information technology) jobs are hard to come by is over and the field is now considered an interesting place to be," Peter Harsha, director of government affairs for the Washington association, told USA Today.

Harsha said the allure of popular technologies have drawn more teens into computer science and should continue to boost enrollment.