Dive Brief:

• In some academic circles, concern is growing that the humanities are being eclipsed by science.
• About 45% of the faculty members in Stanford’s main undergraduate division are in the humanities — but only 15% of the students.
• Humanities are being pared at some public schools, and at elite universities, they are safe but wary: Harvard, for example, had a 20% decline in humanities majors over the last decade.

Dive Insight:

It's easy to see why humanities proponents would be concerned. Looking at lists of in-demand majors, English literature is never at the top of the list—but that's not a new phenomenon. Still, the recent focus on college value and return on investment as measured by graduates' salaries may be legitimate cause for concern in some quarters, particularly at public universities facing lower government funding and budget crunches.