Vast majority of people who get CS degrees don't want to be computer scientists. They want to do programming work, so they get a CS degree because that's the degree employers require. They don't even know that said degree won't focus on what they actually want to learn.
And it's not like they have better choices. There are no programming trade schools. Bootcamps seem to have the right idea in principle, but implementations are often questionable, and most employers won't consider bootcamp graduates.
Not by choice though.
Vast majority of people who get CS degrees don't want to be computer scientists. They want to do programming work, so they get a CS degree because that's the degree employers require. They don't even know that said degree won't focus on what they actually want to learn.
And it's not like they have better choices. There are no programming trade schools. Bootcamps seem to have the right idea in principle, but implementations are often questionable, and most employers won't consider bootcamp graduates.