There seems to be an unnecessary competition between those majoring in STEM majors versus those majoring in humanities or liberal arts. Anywhere you look, it seems to be the general assumption that humanities majors “do not plan on living an expensive life.”

This comes from the supposition there are not many career paths available relevant to a humanities major degree. There is a stereotype that liberal arts majors become journalists, artists and writers, all careers that can be hard to find success in. This is an unfair assumption and an inaccurate stereotype.

There are a lot of problems with suggesting a student major in STEM because they will supposedly make more money in their lifetime. First, while some studies have shown careers in STEM make more a year on average than non-STEM majors, they do not guarantee more money. There a lot of factors that go in to this figure. For example, most male STEM majors earn significantly higher starting wages than female STEM majors.  There are a variety of jobs for STEM majors as well, fluctuating the starting pay rate remarkably. Science and mathematics majors can just as easily make as low $30,000 at a starting wage rate. Some humanities careers actually make more than STEM. Of course, you do have to take into account the different careers for each major; an analytical scientist would ordinarily make a larger starting salary than a high school history teacher.

STEM majors are also not for everyone. People are built differently; where one person may be very apt for biology or human anatomy, another is more astute to fiction writing. One is more likely to be successful where they find enjoyment. Forcing yourself to learn a STEM major just because it might pay more in the long run will ultimately end up hurting you mentally, whether you are in school or once you have landed a career and follow the same schedule regularly.

Lastly, not all students are in school to land a career with luxurious amounts of money. While that may arguably a principal reason to attend college, it is definitely not the only. Many are in school to simply gain an education in a topic they are curious about or enjoy. Some are in college solely for the enhanced chance to land of job with a degree at all. Some students do not care about the salary in the long run. While an immense sum of money per year may be gratifying, some only desire a dependable amount to be able to get by with. Some do not even desire the money at all and are instead getting a degree to be to help others above everything else.

STEM majors are not definitively better than humanities majors by any means. Humanities majors have an advantage in that there is a greater variety of careers based on a humanites degree. STEM majors may on average earn more than humanities majors, but not all STEM majors make more than all humanities majors. All in all, the school to attend for anyone should be based on a their values and goals in life.

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