At a university in the 21st century, it seems that the societal standards would say that it is much better to study a STEM subject such as engineering over a humanities subject such as history. However, there is value in pursuing education in the humanities and social sciences.
STEM fields today hold increasing interest among students. For example, from 2011-2021, business degrees were by far the most commonly awarded degree in the United States. Social science and history degrees have consistently been awarded more than engineering degrees from 2011-2021, although that gap has narrowed considerably, as history degrees have declined in popularity. Furthermore, liberal arts degree awards have declined more than any other degree type from 2012 to 2022. The greatest gains by any degree type during the 2022-23 school year were computer-related degrees, the only degree type besides psychology to increase.
This trend is understandable. The price of a college education in the United States has risen 180% from 1980 to 2020 in the Consumer Price Index over the past 20 years. Wages increases have also not caught up with productivity since the 1970s. The number of people with student loan debts has increased, and Gen Z is attending college more than any previous generation. It stands to reason that there would be an increasing trend towards marketability in education.
Majoring in STEM translates to a higher salary on average. Those who major in STEM fields can expect to make on average $101,100 a year, compared to $87,600 for other majors. Choosing to major in the humanities can seem reflective of foolishness as far as earnings after college, or appear to come from a lack of ability to make it in the “real” majors of science and technology. Why do the humanities even exist when one looks at them from this perspective?
It is true that engineering, finance and computer science majors might have skills that are directly marketable to a particular high-paying industry. If we accept the premise that majoring in one of these fields will surely lead to a career in them, however, we might be wrong. In the same report that detailed the salary difference in STEM and non-STEM graduates, the U.S. Census Bureau recently reported only 28% of STEM graduates actually work in a STEM field. Much of this can be attributed to the fact that not all STEM fields are equal in demand, and to the fact that there are many more STEM bachelor degree holders than STEM jobs available. Half of these reported STEM jobs were in a computer-related industry.
Furthermore, the US Census report found that 62% of those who majored in STEM during college took a non-STEM job, with many choosing careers in law, management, education or accounting. These career choices can be fulfilling and are valuable career choices, and many STEM majors may actively seek employment in these fields as an end goal, although it does illustrate the point that what someone decides to major in during undergrad does not always line up perfectly with an end career.
Additionally, certain STEM fields did have lower average unemployment rates among 25-29 year old bachelor’s degree holders in 2018. According to a report from the National Center for Education Statistics, economics, engineering, and mathematics majors held average unemployment rates of 2.3%, 2.4% and 2.5% compared to 3.6% for history and 4.2% for political science, respectively. Still, the overall unemployment rate for STEM bachelor’s degree holders was 3.2%, higher than non-STEM degree holders on average, at 2.9%. Even if certain STEM majors have lower unemployment rates on average, the vast majority of college graduates still get jobs by these numbers, no matter the major.
There are also greater considerations when it comes to education than simply career or how much money one makes. All the various humanities and social science fields all have their own importance and teach vital lessons. History teaches to know what came before and to think critically through the events that have shaped humanity. Philosophy teaches logical reasoning and seeks to answer how to live in the world. Political science teaches critical thinking, research skills and the ability to effectively analyze and formulate arguments.
The ability to think critically and creatively while possessing knowledge about history, government and philosophy can prevent the rise of demagogues and misleading narratives. As a result, those with a greater humanities education can be better citizens and better thinkers. After all, how can people be misled if they critically question a potentially false or misleading narrative? Is being able to solve a social problem really inferior to solving a problem in technology or medicine?
None of this is to disparage STEM majors or even the act of pursuing an education to better one’s marketability. Skills in scientific reasoning, mathematics and technology are very important when it comes to discovering truth about our world or universe, inventing or working on technology to make people’s lives easier, or saving lives with the power of modern medicines.
However, the skills that the humanities offer — such as critical reasoning, reading and writing — should not be undervalued. No one can become masters at everything, but stereotypes about engineering majors unable to read or history majors unable to do basic math exist for a reason. Placing value on both the STEM and the humanities fields can therefore help lead to a better world where skills in both STEM and the humanities are cultivated.
