In early 2023, the New Yorker published an article titled The End of the English Major. It reflected on a recently popular sentiment that humanities majors (history, English, sociology, political science, etc.) are dying in colleges and universities around the U.S. The title alone grabs your attention—how can the study of the English language die? Despite being an alarming idea, it’s not a baseless claim. Humanities majors are not as popular as they once were, and they’ve been shoved aside to compensate for the influx of STEM majors. It’s said that humanities majors are on their way out in the face of new developing industries and technologies, but are they?
More and more young adults choose to pursue careers in STEM fields for several reasons. In a constantly changing and ever-despairing economy, young people want to know they’ll be able to support themselves with their careers. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, majors in STEM fields drew the highest salaries post-graduation. Those in theology, social services, and educational services were among the lowest. Additionally, STEM majors have the advantage of a wide job market. The internet has changed society in innumerable ways, including the job market. Technology advancements have created jobs that didn’t even exist twenty years ago.
However, it’s important to note that there are always two sides to every coin. According to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, humanities majors in West Virginia have a median income that is 44% higher than those without a college degree. It was also found that one in four of those same humanities majors earned an annual income of $84,000 or more. Humanities jobs can be extremely lucrative, especially if you have a clear path of what you want to do. Many people hear the words English major and automatically assume the person will be an English teacher. They forget about the countless other jobs that require the skills only attained through a humanities degree, such as copywriter, technical writer, public relations manager, editor, brand strategist, and more.
Furthermore, not everyone agrees STEM majors have the best future ahead of them. Just last month, the LA Times published an article titled Why STEM Majors Have Been a Terrible Investment. The article raises several intriguing points, such as many STEM majors leaving their fields due to stressful work environments, inadequate wages, and persistent layoffs.
A plethora of considerations need to be made when picking a major, and it’s important to do personal research and come to a conclusion that not only will satisfy financial needs, but emotional needs as well. There’s no point in going into a lucrative career if you’ll be burned out and unmotivated within a few years of your job. While humanities majors may not have as many graduates as engineering majors, they are far from extinct. The skills from both STEM majors and humanities majors are integral to a well-rounded job market and society as a whole. A world without either one would be a world severely lacking.
