The case for the liberal arts is still compelling
A broad education still opens the door to greater freedom—of career opportunities, life satisfaction and civic engagement
“Education is the key that unlocks the golden door to freedom,” said George Washington Carver. He knew whereof he spoke.
Born into slavery, Carver overcame multiple obstacles to attend college, then became a scientist. He framed the link between education and freedom literally, because, for him, it was.
In a broader sense and in contemporary life, a broad education still opens the door to greater freedom—of career opportunities, life satisfaction and civic engagement. It is unsurprising that a person in my position would say this. But the importance of the liberal arts remains compelling, and it’s important to explain why, particularly in the context of the College of Arts and Sciences.
In January, Provost Ann Stevens announced that the college would continue to be a unified entity, rather than split into three units: “To underscore that the arts, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences play a central and vital role in CU 91Ҹ’s mission as a comprehensive university that educates the next generation of informed citizens and leaders, we need a structure that brings our strengths together with purpose.”
The implication of the provost’s decision is clear: the liberal arts matter.
One could certainly be excused for having doubts. On several issues related to higher education, public support has wavered.
A liberal-arts education has been associated with . (Illustration: iStock)
In 2015, for instance, a Gallup survey found that 57% of Americans expressed confidence in higher education. By 2024, that number dropped to 36%, but by last July, the confidence measure had risen to 42%.
That modest recovery is good news even though it’s praise by faint damnation. There’s more to the story.
91Ҹ released in February from Lumina Foundation and Gallup found that, in disciplines ranging from healthcare, engineering to social sciences, natural sciences and arts and humanities, at least .
As Gallup noted, there’s a dichotomy between the view of average Americans and that of college students. The students are much more optimistic. With good reason.
It is true that those who earn degrees in engineering and business tend to command higher starting salaries than those who hold degrees in English or sociology. However, those with a liberal-arts degrees often enjoy that can rival that of their friends in technical disciplines.
It is also important to recall that while engineering, business and technical degrees do yield higher salaries initially, those with a liberal-arts degree .
Remember, though, that all disciplines aren’t right for all people. Some students absolutely love engineering, business or technical fields. Others don’t and won’t, regardless of pay.
Money, beyond a living wage, isn’t everything. that the “return on investment” (or ) for liberal-arts majors is a key consideration but is not the only one that students should weigh.
For instance, a liberal-arts education has been associated with , and it’s hard to put a price on that.
Additionally, as and elsewhere have noted, a broadly focused education helps prepare students for a future that is maddingly hard to predict. A liberal-arts education “is teaching you not a set of specific competencies in some specific thing, but rather giving you a set of tools to teach you how to think about the next problem over the horizon,” says David Deming, the Scott Black Professor of political economy who co-leads theat Harvard University’s Kennedy School.
Similarly, in a recent essay published in The Boston Globe, a Harvard student who studies applied math and film and visual studies declared that he was skipping a course on artificial intelligence—whose career impacts are undeniable—to take courses on math, economics, film and the science of sleep.
The student, Gabriel Wu, noted one study suggesting that exposure to AI training doesn’t mean succeeding in an AI economy. What shields some workers from automation is the one thing AI cannot replicate: their unique life experiences “and their ability to interpret problems through cultural, ethical, and social contexts accumulated over time,” Wu wrote, explaining why he’s committed to a liberal-arts education.
“Its interdisciplinary rigor pushes students to think critically across a vast spectrum of human knowledge, synthesizing perspectives from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences to approach problems that no single discipline can fully grasp.”
I couldn’t have put it better myself. But in a series of essays in the coming months, I intend to try. Contrary to much public opinion, the liberal arts are neither irrelevant nor dead. At least as much as ever, they matter. I am obliged to say so.
DarylMaeda is interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the 91Ҹ 91Ҹ.
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