The Decline of the Humanities Major Explained

The landscape of higher education is undergoing a seismic shift. For decades, English, History, and Philosophy were staples of the university experience. Today, those classrooms are emptying out as students rush toward Computer Science, Engineering, and Business. This isn’t just a change in student preference; it is a financial survival strategy that is forcing universities to make hard cuts. Here is a breakdown of why the humanities are declining and what it means for the future of education.

The Great Migration to STEM

The primary driver of this decline is economic anxiety. College tuition has skyrocketed over the last twenty years. As a result, students and parents view higher education less as a time for intellectual exploration and more as a financial investment. They want a guaranteed Return on Investment (ROI).

Data from the National Center for Education Statistics highlights this trend vividly. Since 2012, the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded in the humanities has dropped by nearly 30%. In contrast, degrees in computer and information sciences have roughly doubled in that same timeframe.

The logic is straightforward. If you take out $40,000 in student loans, you want a career that pays enough to service that debt immediately upon graduation. A degree in Nursing or Computer Science offers a clear pathway to a specific job with a predictable salary. A degree in English or History often requires a more creative, less defined path to a paycheck, which feels risky to modern families.

Universities Are slashing Programs

Because universities operate partly like businesses, they follow the demand. When enrollment in a specific department drops, that department loses funding. This has led to high-profile cuts at major institutions.

West Virginia University (WVU) became the most prominent example of this trend in late 2023. Facing a $45 million budget shortfall, the university voted to cut 28 academic programs and eliminate over 140 faculty positions. The cuts hit the humanities hardest, including the elimination of all world language majors and graduate programs in math and public administration.

Other institutions are following suit:

Marymount University in Virginia voted to phase out majors in history, theology, and English to focus on more vocational programs.
Lasell University in Massachusetts laid off faculty and overhauled its curriculum to focus on “professional” degrees.
The University of Alaska system has faced repeated cuts that disproportionately affect liberal arts departments due to state budget reductions.

These are not isolated incidents. They represent a structural change in how lesser-endowed universities (schools that are not Harvard or Yale) manage their budgets.

The Wage Gap Reality

The student fear regarding salary is backed by hard data. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, recent graduates in engineering and computer science earn significantly more than their liberal arts counterparts.

Chemical Engineering majors often see median early-career wages around $75,000 to $80,000.
Theology and Religion majors often see median early-career wages closer to $36,000 to $40,000.

While it is true that humanities majors often catch up in salary later in their careers as they move into management positions, the immediate post-graduation gap is terrifying for a 22-year-old with debt. This “earnings premium” attached to STEM degrees drives the narrative that the humanities are a luxury the average student cannot afford.

Is the "Death" of Humanities Exaggerated?

Despite the cuts and the statistics, many experts argue that the decline is a correction rather than an extinction. The mid-20th century saw an explosion in liberal arts enrollments that might have been historically anomalous.

Furthermore, employers continue to demand the “soft skills” that humanities majors excel in:

Critical Thinking: The ability to analyze complex arguments.
Communication: Writing clear, persuasive emails and reports.
Ethics: Understanding the moral implications of business and technology.

Interestingly, the rise of Artificial Intelligence might swing the pendulum back slightly. As AI tools like ChatGPT automate basic coding and data entry, the uniquely human ability to understand nuance, culture, and ethics—skills honed in history and philosophy classes—may become more valuable. Tech leaders often cite this need; Stewart Butterfield, the co-founder of Slack, holds a master’s degree in Philosophy and famously values liberal arts backgrounds.

The Hybrid Future

To survive, many humanities departments are rebranding rather than closing. We are seeing a rise in interdisciplinary degrees that blend technical skills with critical analysis.

Examples of this trend include:

Digital Humanities: Using data analysis to study history and literature.
Bioethics: Applying philosophical rigor to medical and biological research.
Business Communication: merging English rhetoric with corporate strategy.

Universities are realizing that while students may not want a pure “History” degree, they still need historical context to understand global markets. The programs that survive will likely be the ones that can prove their practical application to the workforce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which majors are declining the fastest? History, English, Religion, and Foreign Languages have seen the steepest declines in enrollment over the last decade.

Are humanities graduates unemployable? No. Humanities graduates have reasonable employment rates, often finding work in law, marketing, education, and management. However, their path to a high salary is often less direct than that of a STEM graduate.

Why are colleges cutting these programs? It is primarily a numbers game. Universities rely on tuition dollars. If students stop signing up for French or Art History classes, the university cannot justify paying tenured professors to teach empty rooms, especially when facing budget deficits.

Will Ivy League schools cut humanities too? Likely not. Wealthy, elite institutions like Harvard, Princeton, and Yale have massive endowments that insulate them from short-term market trends. They view the liberal arts as essential to leadership. The cuts are mostly happening at state flagship universities and smaller private colleges that rely heavily on tuition.