Amidst all the talk of H-1B visa rules being tightened by US President Donald Trump. An ‘X’ user in his tweet has highlighted a bigger challenge for President’s Trump dreams of leading the world in Technology . He explained that there is a abysmally low level of US citizens pursuing Phd’s in Computer Science. This debunks the claims of President Trump that Big Tech Firms prefer foreign talent over American workers.
A recent tweet by tech investor Deedy Das (@deedydas) has presentes an excellent Pie chart on the same.
“CS PhDs in the U.S. are not American.”
60% of CS PhDs in the US are not American.
— Deedy (@deedydas) September 27, 2025
53% of CS Masters grads in the US are not American.
BigTech cos have <15% employees on H-1B.
BigTech hiring isn't necessarily biased against Americans; most Americans just don't study advanced CS! pic.twitter.com/RCyMrFFY14
It’s a strong statement but not far from the truth. A large number of computer science PhD students in the U.S. come from other countries, especially India and China. These students often lead cutting-edge research at top universities. While that helps U.S. institutions stay ahead in innovation, it also reveals a worrying trend: not enough Americans are choosing to study advanced computer science.
Why This Matters?
America wants to lead the world in technology in AI, cybersecurity, software, and more. But if most of the experts doing this work are not American citizens, it raises concerns. Will these students stay in the U.S. long-term? Will they start companies here or take their skills elsewhere?
In many cases, international students face visa issues after graduation. Even if they want to stay and contribute, immigration rules can make it difficult. This means the U.S. could lose some of the very talent it trained.
At the same time, American students are often not filling these advanced roles. Many choose other career paths, enter the job market earlier, or stop at a bachelor’s degree. As a result, the U.S. isn’t building a strong homegrown pipeline of researchers and tech experts.
Is Big Tech Biased Against Americans?
Some people might think tech companies prefer hiring foreign workers over Americans. But the reality is more complex. Big Tech companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon mostly care about skills not nationality.
The reason they hire so many international graduates is simple: “there just aren’t enough Americans with PhDs or masters in computer science”. It’s not about bias it’s about supply. If more Americans pursued advanced CS degrees, they’d likely get hired too. But right now, international students make up the majority of that talent pool.
Who Is Deedy?
The original tweet came from Deedy Das, a former Google engineer, Cornell computer science grad, and now a venture capitalist at Menlo Ventures. He often shares insights on tech, immigration, and startups on X (formerly Twitter).
