Are humanities degrees useless?

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Many students choose to study humanities related subjects such as history, philosophy and linguistics at university although some academic trends may show that these degrees are becoming less popular.

Recently, the University of Hertfordshire in the UK decided to suspend five humanities undergraduate courses, reported by Times Higher Education. As a result, students now have fewer opportunities to study English language and linguistics, English literature, history, philosophy, and creative writing. This decision may show how universities are moving away from these subjects.

According to American Academy of Arts & Sciences, humanities degrees in the United States have gone through major ups and downs since the Second World War, but the overall trend in recent years has been a steady decline. In 2024, American universities awarded around 165,000 humanities bachelor’s degrees — the lowest number recorded since 1991 and about 30% lower than the peak in 2012. Traditional humanities subjects such as English, history, philosophy, languages, and classical studies have seen some of the sharpest declines in student enrollment. The share of humanities degrees among all university degrees has also fallen significantly, dropping from nearly 15% in 2005 to only 8.4% in 2024. While humanities programs declined, fields such as engineering, health sciences, and natural sciences grew steadily in popularity between 2012 and 2024.

Many students may feel like STEM related degrees are more useful and valuable, unlike humanities degrees. Learning how to code is considered as a popular career advice for young professionals. However, many would criticize this stance. For instance, Daniela Amodei, the president of artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic, has stated that humanities degrees are becoming more important and increasingly in demand, especially in the new era of AI. 

The idea that higher education is essentially a financial investment has been strengthened by politicians' and regulators' focus on graduate employment data. As a result, a lot of students might think that earning a humanities degree is pointless. 

Although humanities degrees may experience a decline in popularity, the debate over their value remains ongoing. While critics argue that STEM fields offer stronger career prospects and higher salaries, supporters believe the humanities continue to provide important skills such as critical thinking, communication, creativity, and cultural understanding. Many universities and students adapt to changing economic and technological demands. Therefore, the future role of humanities education will likely continue to evolve rather than disappear.