Although the liberal arts have been maligned for so long, the decline in their strength has been particularly obvious in recent years.
Even The New Yorker magazine has lamented that "the humanities are finished." An author who graduated from Harvard and ASU found that at his alma mater ASU, the number of humanities majors such as English and history had plummeted by more than half.
In today's metrics-driven society, this is just a microcosm of the decline of the humanities.
Source: New Yorker
University Programs Cut, Humanities Bear the Brunt
In recent years, due to economic pressures and changing student demands, many U.S. universities have begun cutting academic programs. The humanities have been hit especially hard, with majors in languages, arts, and social sciences bearing the brunt.
Numerous state universities and private colleges have joined the cutbacks, with some even closing entire colleges or departments.
Source: CBS News
Harvard University Cancels Over 30 Courses
In the fall semester of 2024, Harvard University announced the cancellation of over 30 courses, including those in history, languages, and the humanities.
This marks a major adjustment in the university's course offerings in recent years.
Source: The Crimson
Among the canceled courses, the humanities were the hardest hit:
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Department of History and Literature: 6 courses canceled
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Department of History of Art and Architecture: 3 courses canceled
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Committee on the Study of Religion: 3 courses canceled
Source: The Crimson
The university stated that due to low enrollment in certain courses that could not meet the requirements for offering them, it reallocated resources, focusing more on subjects with higher popularity or market demand, such as STEM and business.
Some students were disappointed by the cancellations, especially those who had already planned their academic paths. Faculty also expressed concern, believing that this trend could weaken the university's academic diversity and reduce students' opportunities for broad exposure to knowledge.
University of Connecticut Closes and Merges 24 Programs
Late last year, the University of Connecticut announced that 24 academic programs would face closure, suspension, or merger to optimize resources.
The cuts mainly targeted majors with low student enrollment or limited demand, including languages, literature, and education. In recent years, student numbers in these fields have been declining, making them prime candidates for cuts.
Source: CT Insider
Among them, four programs will be permanently closed, effective from fall 2025:
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M.A. in Politics and Popular Culture (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences)
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Graduate program in Global Risk Management (School of Business)
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Graduate program in Global Health (Graduate School)
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Graduate program in Obesity Prevention and Weight Management (Graduate School)
Source: CT Insider
In addition, 12 programs were suspended and will no longer admit new students.
Source: CT Insider
The university said that due to the expiration of government funding and tightened budgets, it had no choice but to cut programs to reduce expenses and concentrate resources on more popular fields with higher labor market demand, such as STEM and business.
On the other hand, students today are more inclined to choose high-return, high-demand majors, further squeezing the space for traditional humanities and niche disciplines.
Economic Downturn: Cutting Losses to Survive
This is just part of a recent wave of large-scale program cuts at U.S. universities.
Some institutions are in such deep trouble that they have simply closed their doors. Birmingham-Southern College, Fontbonne University, Wells College, Goddard College, and others have all shut down due to financial difficulties.
Source: AL News
The cutting of academic programs is more widespread. Last year, two public universities in North Carolina were granted permission to eliminate over a dozen degree programs, including courses in ancient Mediterranean studies and physics.
Source: AP News
Arkansas State University announced last fall that it would phase out nine programs. Among the 64 campuses in the State University of New York system, three have cut some programs due to low enrollment and budget woes.
Source: Forbes
Other universities that have cut or phased out programs include:
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West Virginia University
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Drake University
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University of Nebraska at Kearney
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North Dakota State University
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Dickinson State University
Source: WV Public
Experts say this is only the beginning. Even schools that have not yet made immediate cuts are reviewing their program offerings.
Universities of all sizes are struggling to balance their budgets.
The most affected are small programs and students in the humanities. Compared to 15 years ago, the proportion of graduates in the humanities has dropped significantly.
Source: Chronicle
Twenty-three-year-old Christina once dreamed of becoming a music therapist. However, last May, her university announced plans to eliminate the music department along with 42 degree programs and 50 minors, completely upending her study plans and forcing her to reluctantly transfer.
Program cuts are also a devastating blow to faculty. Bryan, a senior scholar at Georgetown University, described it as a "humanitarian disaster," questioning whether universities can achieve sustainable development through such cuts.
Beyond U.S. universities, some British institutions are also reducing or closing humanities programs. Last year, Canterbury Christ Church University announced the discontinuation of its English Literature degree.
Source: BBC
Additionally, several UK universities including the University of Roehampton, the University of East Anglia, and the University of Kent are also reducing or even shutting down humanities programs.
Source: The Tab
Reasons Behind the Cuts in the Humanities
In the wave of university program cuts in recent years, the humanities have indeed been the hardest hit.
The reasons behind this phenomenon are multifaceted, interweaving economic pressures, policy influences, student choice trends, and socio-technological changes.
University Financial Crisis Drives Humanities Cuts
Tight university budgets are the direct cause of humanities course cuts.
For example, St. Cloud State University, facing a $32 million budget deficit due to declining enrollment over the past two years, had no choice but to eliminate several humanities programs.
Source: KSTP
The exhaustion of federal COVID relief funds has further intensified the financial pressure on colleges, forcing them to prioritize cutting lower-demand disciplines.
Students Prefer High-Return Majors
According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, college tuition rose by 155% between 1980 and 2023, making students more conscious of the economic return on their majors.
Source: US News
At the same time, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and automation have also profoundly impacted the labor market.
As demand for tech jobs surges, students are increasingly leaning towards STEM-related fields like computer science and data analytics. The humanities, with weaker direct links to high-paying careers and lower average earnings in the job market, have seen their appeal diminish and are gradually being marginalized.
Policy Environment Weakens Support for Humanities Programs
Trump advocates for dismantling the federal Department of Education and promoting the privatization of K-12 education, weakening policy protections for diversity and transgender students. Such policy leanings will reduce support for diverse disciplines and weaken funding for humanities programs.
He also plans to restrict diversity initiatives and accreditation processes at universities, directing more resources toward vocational and technical education, which will further indirectly diminish the importance of traditional humanities.
Source: CNN
The Humanities Will Not Die, but They Must Be Repositioned
Fortunately, many universities are attempting to develop humanities programs in an interdisciplinary direction.
Vanderbilt University renamed its longstanding "Learning and Design" master's program to "Innovation Design and Technology in Education" (IDeaTE), fully integrating artificial intelligence, data science, and other emerging technologies.
Source: Vanderbilt
Northwestern University's new MS in Technology, People, and Policy combines people and policy with technology, emphasizing interdisciplinary STEM learning to adapt to the changes and challenges brought by technological innovation in the AI era.
Source: Northwestern
George Washington University's new Master of Social Science emphasizes quantitative analysis and data-driven research, integrating political science, economics, sociology, and statistics to broaden students' employment prospects.
Source: GWU
These interdisciplinary humanities programs retain the essence of the liberal arts while equipping students with the latest tools and thinking skills, thus giving them more career opportunities.
In today's still "human-centered" society, the humanities will not disappear, but they need to find a new and profound positioning in the new era, allowing the humanities and social sciences to realize their unique value.
The crisis of the humanities conceals opportunities for repositioning and convergent development; they may combine with today's hot AI, data, and STEM to exude a completely new vitality.
Universities are making changes, and as students, we also need to plan ahead to optimize our own paths.
In the future, society will have a growing demand for multi-talented individuals. If you truly love the humanities, you can continue to choose them, but there may be no need to stubbornly stick to a single pure humanities track. Instead, absorb knowledge from multiple fields and take your beloved humanities to broader horizons.
