Humanities vs. STEM

If you’re on any secondary education campus that offers degrees in both humanities and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) studies, then you are bound to come across the ongoing debate of the value of which field of study is more ‘valuable.’ You might even hear a group of STEM students during finals bemoaning all the cramming and memorization for the exams they have to pass, questioning why they didn’t go into something ‘easier’ like liberal arts and humanities. Or you might hear a group of humanity students lamenting over the arduous papers and readings they have to endure and questioning why they didn’t go into something more practical and detail-oriented like STEM. 

The debate on the value of humanity versus STEM degrees has been raging for as long as higher education for individuals across gendered and racial lines has become accessible and normalized over the past century, and there is much to be said for both sides. One thing that remains true though is that the number of humanities students has declined precipitously, with surveys of graduating classes over the past few decades showing that the percentage of seniors with humanities degrees fell by a whopping 50% over the last 20 years.[1] And surely, the job market for liberal arts and humanities majors isn’t currently a boon of financial success, with professional opportunities that are less monetarily lucrative as jobs in the STEM field. But in the end, is the rise in STEM oriented degrees, the ebb in humanities, and the debate over the two really worth fighting over? Or would a combined approach that recognizes humanities and STEM’s individual and collective merits instead be more beneficial to everyone involved?

Degrees in humanities are made up of degrees in subjects such as philosophy, literature, history, and cultural studies among other things.[2] STEM degrees, on the other hand, are degrees that focus on technological development in the fields of mathematics, science, and engineering. As to be expected, the two fields of studies vary in the nature of their educational process as well as in their prospective job fields. While it is not difficult to quantify that value of obtaining a degree in either field of studies—according to the Hamilton Project, degree holders earn around $600,000 over a lifetime more than those entering the workforce with just a high school diploma or GED—it is a bit harder to quantify the data concerning post-graduate earnings by graduates of different majors.[3] What is not difficult to quantify is the plain fact that there are a larger number of job opportunities available to STEM graduates than those with degrees in the humanities. When people think of ‘important’ or ‘essential’ jobs they often think of doctors, surgeons, engineers, and nurses, but what of the importance of teachers, artists, journalists, and writers? Instead of placing a hierarchy of value on people’s careers, perhaps we should stop and consider the impact that art, music, literature, film, and education have on our culture, in conjunction with science, mathematics, and engineering. 

What’s the Truth?

It’s true that there is limited research available that proves STEM majors have a better salary than humanities majors. The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey reports that full-time workers with computer science and engineering bachelor degrees between the ages of 23-25 earned an average of $61,744 annually, which is 37% higher than the average starting salary of $45,032 for those who majored in history or social studies.[4] The previously mentioned Hamilton Project report also found that the five highest earning majors are all in STEM fields, such as aerospace engineering, energy and extraction engineering, chemical and biological engineering, computer engineering, and electrical engineering.[5] With figures like these, it’s easy to see how one can conclude that STEM degrees might be more ‘valuable’ than those in the humanities. But it is crucial to revalue education in the humanities for a host of reasons, and in this case, it is to ensure a balanced approach to the fast-growing technological and social progress we are making. 

The Collective Merits of Humanities and STEM Degrees

Another reason that interest and action in the humanities should be reinforced is because its studies such as literature and philosophy play a large role in fostering critical thinking skills and in encouraging students to question everything, which is key to progress of any kind. Although technology is vital and has positive impacts for the world at large, it’s important to balance the growth of STEM studies with that of the humanities to have students engage in complex ideas and diverse perspectives that better allows them to critique and analyze the world around them and the context of their work, whether that be in STEM or not. [6]

The Challenges

As mentioned, there are challenges to getting people to perceive in the humanities the same value they perceive in STEM degrees. The shrinking job market, the niche opportunities for high-paying work, and the low-pay that humanities students face in the current career climate are certainly challenging in getting over the perception of humanities degrees as less useful than STEM ones. There is also the institutional issue of lack of funding for government programs that support the humanities. For example, the National Endowment of the Arts just shut down its grant program that supported projects for underserved groups and communities.[7] Until public attitudes shift around the value of the humanities as compared to STEM, students of that former discipline are going to have a harder time being perceived as ‘valuable’ in today’s job market.

But that doesn’t mean students should shy away from going into their preferred field of study just because the perceived value of those studies might not seem as prized as others. While humanities majors might not be a direct pathway to high-paying jobs after graduation, they have a long-run value in various careers, including leadership and management positions. In this world of rapidly evolving technology, it is necessary to understand that studies in the humanities not only benefits the evolution of our technological success, but keeps it in check by applying the critical thinking skills about the world around students that their degrees taught them. 

Publishing Solution Group

Whether studying STEM or humanities, we here at Publishing Solutions Group believe that all fields of education are worth exploring, and that is why as a PreK-16 educational content development company, we create outstanding content to make sure that students excel in whatever studies they decide to pursue or are taught. We believe in the power of symbiotic education to reach every student’s learning goals!

[1] https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2025/02/13/the-decline-and-fall-of-humanities/#:~:text=In%20more%20recent%20years%2C%20the,in%20the%20last%2020%20years

[2] https://action.nationalhumanitiescenter.org/what-are-humanities/

[3] https://www.hamiltonproject.org/publication/post/major-decisions-what-graduates-earn-over-their-lifetimes/

[4] https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/data/data-tables.html

[5] https://www.hamiltonproject.org/publication/post/major-decisions-what-graduates-earn-over-their-lifetimes/

[6] https://medium.com/@sahin.samia/the-death-of-humanities-education-why-we-need-to-revalue-the-arts-and-sciences-463114779431

[7] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/arts/national-endowment-for-the-arts-trump.html

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