Many high school students in the U.S. prepare extensively for admission to an Ivy League school or another prestigious American university. A university degree can expand a student’s career options, but outcomes vary by field, experience, and individual circumstances.
Although many students choose degrees with specific career paths in mind, the humanities and liberal arts remain important areas of study in the USA. These fields can prepare graduates for research, academia, communications, education, cultural organizations, and many other careers.
Higher education in the U.S. can be expensive, so prospective students should compare tuition, financial aid, and likely career paths before choosing a program.
Humanities graduates can pursue varied careers, including work in journalism, historical research, museums, education, communications, and other fields. Below are five U.S. universities with top humanities programs.
Top Schools Offering Humanities Programs in the USA
1. Harvard University
Harvard University is a research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Its Division of Arts & Humanities is one of four academic divisions in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The division includes 15 departments, four interdisciplinary undergraduate degree programs, and multiple secondary fields.
Harvard College allows students to explore academic interests before choosing a concentration. In a Global Scholarships interview, Eunice Chon, a student of History of Science and Philosophy, described her first History of Science class as the point when she felt she had “found where I belonged.” Her experience illustrates how interdisciplinary exploration can help students refine their academic interests.
Chon also described her studies by saying, “I study life and death. I humanize knowledge, care, and suffering.” She explained that the field gives her room to be “nuanced, sensitive, and critical” as she examines narratives about science, medicine, innovation, technology, and legitimacy.
2. Stanford University
Stanford University was founded in 1885 by Jane and Leland Stanford in memory of their only child, Leland Jr., who died of typhoid fever in 1884. The university opened on October 1, 1891. Its founders and first president intended the university to be nonsectarian, coeducational, and affordable.
Stanford’s School of Humanities and Sciences is the university’s largest school. It encompasses 24 departments and 25 interdisciplinary programs across the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences.
Within the humanities and arts, students can explore fields such as art and art history, history, philosophy, religious studies, linguistics, and music. Degree options vary by field, so prospective students should review the individual program requirements.
3. University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley was founded in 1868. In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, Berkeley was the top public university in North America, the third-highest-ranked public institution worldwide, and ninth overall.
Berkeley’s Division of Arts & Humanities offers almost 30 majors across 19 departments, along with more than 40 minors. Its undergraduate options cover fields such as comparative literature, music, philosophy, film and media, history of art, languages, and theater and performance studies.
The division also offers graduate programs, including Ph.D., M.A., and other graduate-level options in selected fields. Prospective students should review the graduate degree programs page for current offerings.
4. Princeton University
Princeton University is another Ivy League school. It was chartered in 1746, making it the fourth-oldest college in the United States. Originally founded as the College of New Jersey, it adopted the name Princeton University in 1896.
The humanities at Princeton encompass more than 50 academic departments and programs. They span art and archaeology, classics, philosophy, languages, music, aspects of history and the social sciences, and creative programs in the Lewis Center for the Arts.
Degree options vary by field. For example, history offers an A.B. and Ph.D., while architecture offers an A.B., M.Arch., and Ph.D. Prospective students should review the university’s humanities areas of study page for current options.
5. Yale University
Founded in 1701, Yale University is a member of the Ivy League. Yale College offers more than 80 undergraduate majors, while the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers master’s and Ph.D. programs across multiple divisions, including the humanities.
Yale’s Humanities Program offers a B.A. major that brings scholars and undergraduates together around questions in literature, the arts, history, philosophy, and the sciences. The program emphasizes interdisciplinary connections and updated its major requirements for students declaring the major from Fall 2025 onward.
Prospective students can explore the university’s departments and programs and review the Humanities major requirements before applying or declaring a major.
When you study humanities at a U.S. university as an international student, you can gain a diverse and interactive academic experience that encourages cultural understanding and critical thinking. These programs provide opportunities to explore the ideas, texts, histories, and cultural expressions that shape human experience.
We hope that this article on the best universities to study humanities in the USA was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Available Courses for International Students and Guide to Studying in the USA Page to learn more about studying in the United States!
