Thoughts from a younger generation..

> I suspect that the same is true today - you've got the people who are interested in CS for CS's sake, and a much larger group who just want a comfortable high-paid job - and the hard question is whether the first group is growing or shrinking over time (since it's covered by the noise created by the larger group who just want a job out of it).

I like how the German tertiary education system solves it (or used to solve it, nowadays the demarcation is very fuzzy): Universities focus on producing new scientists and Fachhochschulen (better translated as "university of applied sciences" rather than "vocational colleges") produce workers, but with an above-industry-average knowledge of theoretical subjects.

Those who like CS for the sake of it can study at a University (and maybe get a career as researchers or professors). Those who want an high-paid job are better suited by a Fachhochschule (where the teachers are hi-profile practitioners from the industry and will help them land a good job).