Harvard and Princeton Too—Top US Universities Shrink Graduate Programs in Art History as Fiscal Woes Hit Humanities
Top US universities, including Harvard and Princeton, are cutting graduate admissions or reducing enrollment in art history programs due to fiscal deficits and uncertain federal funding.Summary
Amid expanding fiscal deficits and uncertain federal grants, several elite US universities, including Boston University, the University of Chicago, Harvard University, and Princeton University, are halting new admissions or reducing enrollment in graduate programs, particularly in art history. This trend reflects a structural crisis in higher education impacting the intellectual foundation supporting the arts. Syracuse University, for instance, suspended new admissions for 20 undergraduate majors, including fine arts, while establishing a Center for the Creator Economy. These changes coincide with political pressures, such as the Trump administration criticizing universities and freezing federal research grants. Boston University cited increased costs from a new labor agreement with graduate student workers as a reason for suspending admissions in art history and architectural history, although internal reports suggest downsizing efforts predated the contract. The University of Chicago announced a one-time suspension of art history admissions for 2026–27, following significant budget deficits, and plans to cut internally funded doctoral students by 30% by 2030–31. Harvard University is reportedly cutting doctoral admissions in the arts and humanities by about 60% over the next two years, citing opaque research grants and potential tax increases on endowments as financial pressures. Princeton University also instructed all departments to cut budgets by 5–10% following cuts to federal research funding.
(Source：ARTnews JAPAN（アートニュースジャパン）)