Are liberal arts making a comeback?

Many residents and international students enroll in the San Mateo County Community College District to pursue sought-after courses that prepare them for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

In comparison, liberal arts and humanities students make up only a small portion of total enrollments at local community colleges. At Skyline College, for example, humanities majors represent 3.4% of all 6,379 major declarations in the 2024-25 academic year.

But despite the popularity of these programs, recent student data from the college district reveals a notable increase in enrollment for humanities and liberal arts majors. 

Even in small numbers, students and faculty continue to stress the importance of these disciplines. Rather than focusing on employment-related anxieties, they focus on their classes and navigate how to achieve their personal and wholesome ambitions.

It’s not always about the money

Over the last decade, technology and the emergence of generative AI has led to a decline in job openings for liberal arts and humanities graduates, a concern that many students consider when choosing their field of study.

In recent years, more people have opted out of pursuing the arts and social sciences over fears of employability. The surge of AI has reshaped everyday and professional life, and some companies use its automated or generative capabilities to execute tasks, from prescreening applications to generating content for digital marketing and advertising.

While some educators encourage students to focus on pursuing degrees and careers in lucrative fields, others offer a different perspective on navigating the arts in a wage-based economy. Among them is Emil DeAndreis, a creative writing professor at College of San Mateo, who believes the value of a degree should not be measured solely by financial gain.

For DeAndreis, he learned that most writers still depend on a full-time job to pay the bills. Even after publishing three books, his teaching career allows him to continue his craft. Still, he clarifies that this circumstance should not deter students from pursuing a degree in their respective disciplines.

“There are people, perhaps, who come into creative writing with the aspirations of publishing and making money from that,” DeAndreis said. “But oftentimes it isn’t the money that’s the end goal.”

Apart from their creative pursuits, a group of students defies the popular opinion that they should aim for six-figure starting salaries and remain steadfast in their dedication to community welfare and improvement. For many of them, their reason to pursue these majors with stricter career mobility is personal.

“Psychology can help with multiple aspects in life,” Rio Manuel from Skyline College in San Bruno said. “One example is my father, [who] has been incarcerated before, and I think it would be really good to use psychology as a rehab outlet.”

Some students also choose to pursue liberal arts in pursuit of their passion for causes and beliefs. For criminal justice student Zuleika Larria, The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids motivated her to defend the immigrant community.

“I want to help those people who are trying to come here just to live a better lifestyle because we’re lucky enough to live in America as it is,” Larria said, a student at Skyline College. “Why not share that with other people?”

The ability to improve human connection

Some advocates argue that studying the intricate aspects of the liberal arts and humanities is necessary to develop empathy and become more well-rounded citizens. Especially in a multicultural state like California, acquiring cultural competencies can be advantageous, particularly in fields such as health care, social services and business.

California higher education organizations have implemented measures to ensure that college graduates possess the tools and knowledge necessary to navigate diversity. The California State University system requires students to complete six units of arts and humanities and six units of social and behavioral sciences as part of their general education to graduate. Similarly, the requirements for the University of California system vary by campus and its respective colleges. 

The College of Letters and Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley, which houses most of the liberal arts and humanities majors, requires two semesters of world language classes for students to confer their four-year degree, in addition to fulfilling campus requirements in American cultures.

Sarah Harmon, an adjunct professor of linguistics and Spanish at Cañada College in Redwood City, explains that the immediate communities benefit when more people immerse themselves in the humanities. 

“You have to study humanities and you have to study social sciences for you to relate to other human beings,” Harmon said, who holds a doctorate in linguistics. “It just has to be done.”

The allure of studying languages and cultures varies for students. From her experience teaching at the community college for almost two decades, she had students ranging from 15 to 75 years old taking her class out of interest, as a requirement, or for professional development. 

Free college program

Learning a new language and cultural nuances for community and professional settings are among the goals the college district hopes to provide. In 2022, SMCCCD launched its Free Community College initiative, which opened doors for county residents to enroll in classes at the three local community colleges without incurring tuition fees.

Last year, the initiative led to a significant 24% increase in student enrollment within the college district. Whether students take liberal arts classes as part of their degree out of personal enjoyment, San Mateo County residents could enjoy education at little to no cost. 

“Across the San Mateo County Community College District — Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College — we’ve seen an increase in enrollments in subjects such as English, history, and philosophy over the past three years,” a college district representative said in an email, crediting the growth to the success of the Free College Initiative.