Asha Rountree

In 2020, only 1 in 10 college students graduated with a degree in humanities such as English, philosophy, and history, which is a 25% drop from 2012 according to The Hechinger Report. This steady decline leaves those studying or hoping to study humanities disheartened. Recent increased comparison and disapproval of humanities majors come down to two different cultural waves: the increase of online connectivity and the push for students to pursue STEM subjects. Overall, these two movements have led to humanities majors unfairly losing value among students, leading society to lose the benefits that humanities majors supply.                                    

Firstly, connection has expanded immensely in recent years in the form of social media and constant access to others’ lives. The para-social relationships formed through these online platforms make it easy to compare your major and your life’s course to others, leading to insecurity in your own path, particularly for humanities. This is because online, STEM majors generally appear of higher value. This can cause those considering a humanities degree to turn towards other majors. 

In correlation to the increased global connection comes a disconnection from the humanities. Studies such as philosophy or English feel distant because of the current atmosphere of the world, where they appear less relevant than STEM careers. STEM careers are more involved with the present and future than humanities, where our current fast-paced lives provide a stark contrast to studies focused on continuous ideas or older pieces of literature. The disconnect from the humanities contributes to a large part of the problem, which is that fewer students are becoming interested in the humanities at all and therefore do not pursue a degree in them.

This is disappointing, as humanities brings many values to the table, including providing new and valuable perspectives on current day and past events. Humanities subjects are what are responsible for every philosopher, every great novel, and every beautiful work of art. The way of thinking that is formed through the study of a humanities major can lead to fulfillment and purpose for an individual. 

Another popular reason that is often provided for dropping humanities majors is the economic return on a college education, since humanities majors have an annual salary on the lower end of around $64,000, according to The American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This is an important topic since a college degree is a large commitment, however, it all comes down to your values and how you hope to contribute to the workforce and your life. The way our culture runs on connection emphasizes to students the value of money but doesn’t showcase the joy that can be found in following a passion. Due to this, many students who value money will not take the humanities seriously.  

This is not a small issue that can be changed rapidly. In order to combat the fall of humanities majors and re-value them as a population, major shifts in the way we think about humanities are needed, such as instilling the important different viewpoints that humanities provide on current issues into students. 

In a college-focused environment, such as LASA, connection and disconnection in terms of humanities majors can be amplified further. In order to understand if you would be a candidate to increase the number of humanities majors, you need to understand the reasons behind the problem and consider what you could gain from a degree in the humanities.