At Cambridge, a number of arts and humanities courses have seen marked declines in the number of students applying. At the same time, STEM courses like computer science have been the fastest growers. Cambridge is subject to a national trend, where increasing numbers of students are choosing to study Science, Technology and Engineering (STEM) courses, while fewer and fewer choose the arts and humanities.

The statistics are clear – 605 students applied to MML in 2009, whilst just 336 (461 with the addition of History and Modern Languages) applied this year; 1,035 students applied to English in 2009, and just 776 did this year. These figures are particularly stark when you consider that Cambridge received around 8,000 more applications in 2023 than in 2009. 

“With higher education becoming costlier, many students view their degree as a stepping stone to getting a better job”

There are several reasons for this, but one of the major factors is the increasingly pervasive perception that courses in the arts and humanities provide poorer job opportunities. With higher education becoming costlier, many students view their undergraduate degree as merely a stepping stone to getting a better job, hoping to offset student debt with higher salaries.

Hassan Himaz, a Cantab studying engineering, told me, “I looked at the salaries for every subject”. Familial pressure to study a subject perceived as employable affected Himaz significantly, with his parents promising significant financial assistance if he chose to study medicine. Employability is a significant concern for students - a 2021 report by the Higher Education Policy Institute found that 53% of respondents to a 2020 survey cited ‘to get on the career ladder’ as a key reason for choosing a university course. However, the disparity between STEM and humanities students on the job market is exaggerated – a 2020 British Academy report found just a single percentage point advantage in finding any job within a year for STEM graduates over graduates in the arts and humanities. Whilst certain courses, like medicine and computer science, provide tangible employment benefits, the overall picture is not as bad for those studying the arts and humanities as some suggest it is.

Yet emphasising the employability of a particular subject perhaps misses the point of an undergraduate education. Georgia Jackskon Jessel, a Cantab studying English told me “My uni degree has value to me outside of direct employability”. She told me she had applied for PPE at Oxford the year before applying to Cambridge because it was a stereotypically successful degree, and her change of heart reaffirmed that studying and learning has value outside its vocational purpose. “Having wasted a cycle applying for something because it made sense, maximised my skills, and was traditionally respected, and then coming to terms with how disconnected I was from it as an academic discipline,” she said, “I realised that choosing academia for a vocational purpose rather than for its own purpose and practice produced a very disjointed experience for me.”

“A narrow focus on economic utility does not reveal the extent to which a subject may be valuable”

From a research perspective too, we can see how a narrow focus on economic utility does not reveal the extent to which a subject may be valuable. Elspeth Davies, a PhD student in social anthropology, explained to me why minimising the value of the arts and humanities may be misguided, saying “When we talk about “low value” degrees, it is usually assumed that we mean low economic value. I don’t think we should take this for granted… Research and knowledge can be valuable in a multitude of different ways, and this should be embraced and celebrated.”

So, if we broaden our view beyond economic and market-driven goals, we can see how the humanities may provide genuine benefits to society. But what, specifically, can the humanities offer us? Luca, who studies history and participates in both the university-wide history society and Caius Brooke Society of History, summarised their value as “a certain sensitivity to the subjectivity of life”.

Studying the humanities makes us aware of things like emotion, bias and subtext from the language of others, something which cannot be done by relying on the scientific method alone. Priyamvada Gopal, a Cambridge English professor, gives a particularly pressing reason to preserve this ability, which is its significance in keeping our democracies rich and functioning. When conducting politics, people lie, have biases and agendas, and even misinform – the humanities provide us with an academic arsenal to listen to and discuss different perspectives critically.

“Decrying the humanities as “useless” ignores the benefits of their interpretative, personal approach”

In any case, continued use of the humanities as a discipline is best if they are utilised alongside methodologies associated with STEM. Across Cambridge, much of the most engaging work being done in the humanities applies it to issues associated with STEM, contributing to the discussion with an interpretive lens, which has tangible benefits.

Davies’ work is a great example as she uses anthropology to help broaden our understanding of cancer treatment, studying the social and ethical issues surrounding the diagnosis of cancer risk. As she told me: “This research has practical applications – I work with cancer scientists, clinicians and policymakers to make recommendations on how to improve policy and practice surrounding cancer early detection interventions.”

Therefore, decrying the humanities as “useless” ignores the clear and unique benefits of their interpretative, personal approach. Davies’ work is clear evidence of this – she reveals significant and real implications of certain approaches to diagnosing cancer risk that science cannot.

Ultimately, what we choose to study and research is based on what we value and deem worthy of pursuit. While many students may see their degree as a pathway to a good job, others view it as an opportunity to broaden their understanding of the world, or even just a source of enjoyment and interest. Speaking to those studying and researching the arts and humanities, however, proves that the humanities, far from being worthless pursuits, add value to society.