New research shows a drop in dissertations related to history, literature, theology and theater over the last decade.
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A new study from the American Academy of Sciences and Letters shows a 49 percent drop in humanities dissertations written since 2015—with declines in history, literature, philosophy, theology and theater—prompting concerns about a “crisis” in the field.
At the same time, the study shows dissertations in the social sciences decreased by only 4.5 percent. Researchers found more significant declines in economics and political science compared to fields such as anthropology, psychology and communications.
The report, “Humanities in Crisis: A Study of 65 Years of American Dissertation Trends,” details findings from the academy’s analysis of almost 500,000 dissertations published between 1960 and 2025. In addition to categorizing and quantifying the trends, researchers also analyzed the vocabulary—they looked for words related to truth, power, evaluation, aesthetics and identity—and tone.
They identified shifts in what dissertations focused on. Fewer dissertations were written about beauty and more dissertations focused on power and identity, according to a news release.
The American Academy of Sciences and Letters, founded in 2023, is a project of the Foundation for Excellence in Higher Education, which shares a president with a larger conservative think tank funded by right-leaning donors, according to previous reporting by Inside Higher Ed.
