As college students, we often hear about the superiority of science, technology, engineering and math fields — known altogether as STEM — in how they promise higher salaries, greater job security and prestige. This narrative has shaped our academic priorities and career aspirations. However, the overemphasis on STEM obscures the critical challenges within these fields, such as workplace inequities and oversaturation in the job market. 

More importantly, the rhetoric of STEM supremacy undervalues the humanities and social sciences, which foster essential skills like critical thinking, creativity and empathy — crucial qualities for building a balanced society. 

It’s time to re-evaluate our disproportionate emphasis on STEM and understand the value of all sorts of disciplines in shaping our future. 

Undeniably, STEM degrees often lead to higher starting salaries than non-STEM degrees. In 2023, The New York Times reported that computer science and engineering graduates ages 23-25 earned an average salary of $61,744 in 2017, which was 37% higher than the average starting salary of people who majored in history or other social sciences. 

Despite these higher earnings, there are a variety of challenges within STEM workplaces. Our perception of STEM’s value often ignores specific issues that STEM employees face, such as gender and racial inequities, job inflexibility and oversaturation.

A study from Pew Research found that women in STEM see more gender disparities in their workplace, salary levels and career advancements than women in other fields. Additionally, 40% of STEM degree holders say women face more obstacles in their industry compared to their counterparts, 30% say the same of Black Americans, and nearly 50% say the same of older employees.

The same study found that STEM jobs are less flexible on family time and personal matters than other fields, limiting long-term work satisfaction. Relatedly, these jobs don’t guarantee workplace respect, with over half of STEM workers reporting that they feel replaceable.

The “STEM supremacy” narrative has also caused the STEM job market to become oversaturated, which makes it harder for graduates to secure positions. In 2021, U.S. colleges produced nearly twice as many engineering graduates as available jobs in the field. This fact debunks the idea that STEM degrees guarantee jobs.

Additionally, skills gained from non-STEM majors and classes are just as crucial as STEM-related skills. Soft skills taught in humanities classes are valuable to employers and don’t tend to expire as much as technical skills do. 

A 2018 National Association of Colleges and Employers survey found that employers tend to look for humanities-related attributes such as communication, problem-solving, teamwork, initiative and leadership.

The U.S. education system started focusing on STEM in 2001 to address student deficits compared to countries worldwide and increase the country’s prosperity in the global community. The resulting decreased focus on humanities-related skills has contributed to a decline in students’ foundational skills, such as reading and writing.

Teaching students history and social studies strengthens skills to evaluate the credibility of sources, discern various points of view and evaluate data. Skills like these are helpful in all academic and professional pursuits.  These teachings also enhance creativity and encourage teamwork, which creates more well-rounded and collaborative individuals.

Other majors and fields of study outside of STEM are needed and should be valued to embrace a balanced society. A society overly focused on STEM risks neglecting culture, ethics and social programs. Humanities help preserve heritage and promote civic engagement by teaching students about democracy, justice and human rights.

Holistic approaches to education that balance technical knowledge with moral reasoning help to create more well-rounded individuals. In times of intense division and declining empathy, we should focus on ethics and interpersonal skills, on top of career-related skills. 

As much as many of us dread taking General Education courses here at USC, we should appreciate the liberal arts. Although what we learn in these courses may not directly apply to our majors, they make us more well-rounded and help us develop skills that apply to our future careers.

To STEM majors: If you believe your major is more valuable than that of your friends, please drop your superiority complex. Although you may think your classes are more challenging and career prospects are better, humanities programs and the skills they teach are just as important in their own way. We must respect diverse fields within academia and recognize that all studies and jobs have value.