Saving Humanities: When Will Humanities Degrees Go Extinct?

In the United States, the Humanities are at a crossroads. Loss of funding, cancelled grants, and shifting political priorities that increasingly prioritize other educational and economic agendas pose a significant threat to subjects like History, Literature, Philosophy, and the Arts. 

Cuts to programs like the National Endowment for the Humanities have also left hundreds of cultural, educational, and creative institutions without the support they depend on to operate.  

Alarmingly, skepticism toward the Humanities has spread beyond politics and into the general public. While nearly half of Americans view fields like Engineering favorably, a little over a third view the Humanities as favorably as they do Mathematics, according to findings from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 

Furthermore, despite studies showing how the Humanities can enrich professional life, open doors to diverse career paths, and foster high-demand skills, just 25% of Americans strongly believe that the Humanities contribute to economic strength. 

To better understand how modern perceptions of the Humanities are influencing student interest and the number of degrees being granted, Save My Exams conducted original research into the issue.

We have launched a campaign to raise awareness about the sharp decline in Humanities degrees and how quickly these subjects could disappear from higher education if current trends continue.

About the data

We examined the number of granted Humanities degrees published by the American Academy of Arts  and Sciences from 1987 to 2022. Degrees were analyzed as per the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species to gauge their relative risk of ‘extinction.’

Key findings:

• All Humanities degrees across the U.S. have seen a consistent year-on-year decline of 3.06% since 2015. From 2020 onward, this trend increased to 4.15%. 

• Traditional Humanities degrees, such as English, History, Philosophy, and Languages, are declining even faster, at 4.84% per year since 2015. 

• If current trends continue, all Humanities degrees could reach extinction-level by 2115 in the U.S.

All Humanities degrees could be extinct in the U.S. within the next 100 years 

Our analysis shows that the number of granted bachelor degrees in Humanities across the U.S. peaked in 2012, with over 236,000 graduates. Since then, the numbers have declined consistently. Between 2015 and 2020, the average annual drop was around 3%. After 2020, that rate rose to over 4% per year.

If this continues, our projections suggest that Humanities degrees could be at risk of becoming extinct by 2115.

To help show the scale of this decline, we used the same system the IUCN uses to track endangered species, applying it to Humanities degrees to imagine what the next century of higher education could look like.

The downward trajectory is based on forecasts since 2015:

• In the year 2234, the Humanities will technically be critically endangered, with only 247 degrees granted. This number accounts for 0.0000726% of the American population being educated in the Humanities. 

• In the year 2160, the Humanities will be considered endangered, with only 2,460 degrees expected to be granted in the U.S. 

• In the year 2115, there will only be 9,961 Humanities degrees granted in the U.S, classifying it as at risk of becoming extinct. 

Our findings also align with wider U.S. research. According to The Hechinger Report, just 1 in 10 college students graduated with a Humanities degree in 2020, marking a 25% decline since 2012. Furthermore, at Arizona State University, the number of English majors dropped from 953 in 2012 to 578 in 2020, while the number of graduates in Language and Literature disciplines also halved over the same period.

This comes as little surprise when public opinion suggests that Humanities degrees lack practical value. Forbes, for instance, described Liberal Arts and Performing Arts as “losing relevance,” arguing they fall short in preparing students for today’s job market. Edsmart labels degrees in Music, Art History, and Fine Art as “useless” due to oversaturation and the importance of talent over formal qualifications. Meanwhile, Career Addict discourages students from pursuing Theater due to limited roles and its “vagueness” and Religious Studies for their “niche” career pathways.

Despite University presidents like Marvin Krislov (Pace University) who insist that “Humanities matter even more than ever” and medical research supporting the role of the Humanities in fostering empathy, wisdom, and reducing cognitive fatigue, public discourse continues to overwhelmingly favor STEM subjects. With so much online messaging reinforcing the idea that only technical fields hold value, it’s no surprise that interest in the Humanities is in steady decline.

Traditional Humanities degrees could be at risk of becoming extinct within the next 50 years  

Traditional Humanities degrees, such as Art History, Classics, English Literature, and History, are disappearing before our eyes. According to our 2015 forecasts, by 2091, as many as 2,449 degrees in these fields could be at risk of becoming extinct. 

• In the year 2138, Traditional Humanities degrees will be critically endangered, with only 238 degrees expected to be granted. This rate equates to only 0.00007% of the American population holding a degree in the likes of History or Literature. 

• In the year 2091, Traditional Humanities subjects will be considered endangered, with only 2,449 degrees for these courses expected to be granted in the U.S. 

• In the year 2063, Traditional Humanities degrees will be classified as at risk of becoming extinct, with only 9,822 degrees expected to be completed.

This decline isn’t surprising when you consider how openly some public figures question the value of these subjects. 

In 2023, Shad White, the State Auditor of Mississippi, released a report calling Social Sciences and Humanities “indoctrination factories,” arguing that public Universities should prioritize degrees like Engineering and Business because they lead to higher-paying jobs. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio also expressed a similar view in 2015, saying, “We need more welders and fewer philosophers.”

Unfortunately, this has begun to influence students’ degree choices. West Virginia University, the University of Alaska, Eastern Kentucky University, and North Dakota State have all announced significant budget cuts or closures of Humanities departments recently.

As reported by The State News, the United States is increasingly defining a program’s value solely by its ability to generate revenue, not just from student tuition but also from research funding.

Why should we be protecting the Humanities?

Boston Philosophy lecturer Santiago Ramos argues that too many critics of the Humanities “see value only in utility, in making your humanistic learning useful for meeting the practical need for a job or earning a buck.” While practical skills matter, the Humanities offer something just as essential: the tools that help us stay human.

Studying the Humanities gives us the skills to ask big questions — about justice, belief, identity, and the kind of world we want to live in. They allow us to explore different cultures, challenge assumptions, and engage in meaningful debates. In the current political climate, we arguably need these skills more than ever. 

Dr. Tim Bradshaw, Chief Executive of the Russell Group, put it simply: 

“The study of the Humanities, with its pursuit of knowledge and understanding of the world around us, continues to have deep relevance in uncertain times. Indeed, if we are to meet our ambitions to create a dynamic, resilient and innovative economy, we will need a breadth of skills and knowledge [...]  Humanities should be at the heart of this.” 

Without the Humanities, we risk losing a generation of students and citizens who ask the most important question of all: why? As stated in Professor Dan Grimley’s report on the value of the Humanities, “Science looks at whether you can do it, AI, cloning, whatever; the Humanities allows you to step back and ask whether you should.” 

STEM and the Humanities are not in opposition; they work in tandem. The Humanities provide the ethical, cultural, and philosophical frameworks that help ground scientific and technological advancement. Without this grounding, we risk advancing STEM in ways that lack balance, context, and conscience.

Moreover, in areas where answers are not clear-cut, the Humanities equip us to grapple with complexity. They offer a holistic set of tools, encouraging deeper inquiry into the world and ourselves, and helping us understand that multiple perspectives and truths can coexist. 

The Humanities walk of fame

Did you know that Humanities degrees have played a key role in shaping many of America’s most successful and influential figures, especially in the creative industries?

English programs have nurtured some of the country’s greatest novelists, while Film and Theater have produced celebrated on-screen talent. Many world-renowned directors and visual artists also began their journeys studying the Arts in college. 

However, beyond the creative fields, some of America’s top business leaders, including Disney’s Michael Eisner and Bank of America’s Brian T. Moynihan, also earned their degrees in the Humanities. Even former presidents Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and George W. Bush all hold bachelor of arts degrees. 

Americans who studied a Humanities degree

Conclusions

If current trends continue, the United States could see Humanities degrees disappearing within the next century. This extinction would not just mean a loss of academic disciplines but a potential reduction of critical thinking and cultural appreciation. 

We are calling for urgent and coordinated action. Policymakers must restore and expand funding for Humanities departments. Universities should be supported in promoting a more balanced understanding of educational value, one that includes not only economic outcomes but also the social, civic, and human benefits of a well-rounded education.  

There is still time to reverse this decline. We can guarantee that disciplines like Literature, History, Philosophy, and the Arts will continue to play a significant part in American education for many years to come, with consistent funding, proactive campaigning, and a revived understanding of the Humanities' critical role in creating resilient societies. 

We have a responsibility to save the Humanities from the brink of extinction, and we must act now. 

Methodology

Extinction metrics are based on IUCN’s (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List Threshold. The calculation can be seen in more detail below:

• Critically Endangered: Fewer than 250 mature individuals

• Endangered: Fewer than 2,500 mature individuals

• Vulnerable: Fewer than 10,000 mature individuals

Analyzing data from the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, Save My Exams examined trends in the number of granted Humanities degrees, covering all Humanities degrees from 1987 to 2022 and Traditional Humanities degrees from 1949 to 2022. Using the average year-on-year decline, they projected when Humanities degrees could become extinct in the U.S. based on the number of granted degrees.

References:

• American Academy of Arts & Sciences — How Americans View the Humanities

• America: The Jesuit Review — The Humanities may seem pointless, but that is the point

• Career Addict — The 25 Most Useless University Degrees (and Why)

• Clarion Ledger — Mississippi auditor says several college majors indoctrinate students, should be defunded

• Edsmart — 21 Most Useless Degrees in 2025 and How to Make Them Work for You

• Forbes — Many College Degrees Are Now Useless—Here’s What Is Worth Your Money

• Forbes — Why The Humanities Matter More Than Ever—Even When You Keep Hearing Otherwise

• HEPI — Humanities education is a UK strength: New report shows it is a mistake to set up a Humanities vs STEM contest

• IUCN Red List — Red List Index (RLI)

• Journal of General Internal Medicine — Medical Students’ Exposure to the Humanities Correlates with Positive Personal Qualities and Reduced Burnout: A Multi-Institutional U.S. Survey

• The Guardian — Canada, Mexico and EU criticise Trump’s metal tariffs amid fears of trade war

• The John Hopkins News Letter — The Humanities are being neglected in American universities

• The New Statesman — Elon Musk is proof we need more people with Humanities degrees

• The New York Times — Can Humanities Survive the Budget Cuts?

• The New York Times — DOGE Demands Deep Cuts at Humanities Endowment

• The New Yorker – The End of the English Major

• The State News — COLUMN: Investigating the death of the Humanities

• University of Oxford — New research shows how studying the Humanities can benefit young people’s future careers and wider society

• University of Northern Colorado — The Power of a Humanities Degree