by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 32 U.S. colleges awarded 421 degrees and certificates in Medical/Health Humanities. Bachelor’s degrees are the most popular award, at 71% of graduates. College Factual ranks 10 schools in its 2027 Best Medical/Health Humanities Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $90,296 one year after completing, rising to $98,461 after four years.
A major in Medical/Health Humanities covers A Program That Explores The Ethical, Historical, Literary, Philosophical, And Religious Dimensions Of Medicine Or Health. Includes Instruction In Art, Cultural Studies, Economics, Ethics, History, Literature, Medical Anthropology, Philosophy, Religion And Spiritual Thought, Science And Technology, Visual Art, And Writing. Examples: [Narrative Medicine].
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Nationwide, medical/health humanities is a popular field of study, with 421 degrees awarded annually. 32 colleges award medical/health humanities degrees, an average of 13 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 90.
By level, the 421 awards include 300 bachelor’s degrees, 108 master’s degrees and 13 doctorates.
Women earned 84% of medical/health humanities degrees and certificates in the latest year (354 of 421). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (179) and Hispanic or Latino (95), and international students earned 8.
College Factual ranks 10 schools in its 2027 Best Medical/Health Humanities Schools ranking, including 6 for bachelor’s degrees and 1 for master’s degrees. It also ranks medical/health humanities schools within 5 states. In all, 32 colleges offer medical/health humanities programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Medical/Health Humanities Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common medical/health humanities credential is the bachelor’s degree: 300 of the 421 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to medical/health humanities call most for Reading Comprehension, Speaking and Writing, and for knowledge of English Language, Sociology and Anthropology and Education and Training, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Written Comprehension, Written Expression and Oral Expression.
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How long a medical/health humanities degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 300 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 108 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 13 |
Master’s degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to medical/health humanities, at 38.6%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s degree | 38.6% |
| Doctoral degree | 29.6% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 21.2% |
| Post-doctoral training | 5.3% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 2.1% |
| Some college courses | 2.0% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 0.8% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 0.2% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 0.1% |
Source: O*NET Online.
8 occupations are related to Medical/Health Humanities, with an average median salary of $65,499; the strongest outlook belongs to Anthropologists and Archeologists, at 12.9% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Foreign Service Teacher, College Teacher, Lecturer and Liberal Arts Teacher.
The occupation related to medical/health humanities with the most projected jobs is Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other, at 1,421,275.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other | 1,421,275 | 11.1% |
| Postsecondary Teachers, All Other | 964,215 | -0.1% |
| Sociologists | 143,776 | 3.0% |
| Historians | 66,368 | -1.5% |
| Transportation Planners | 43,539 | 4.1% |
| Geographers | 41,950 | 10.6% |
| Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other | 24,588 | 6.1% |
| Anthropologists and Archeologists | 12,925 | 12.9% |
Medical/Health Humanities graduates earn a median $90,296 one year after completing their program, $98,461 after four years and $100,667 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $90,296 |
| 4 years | $98,461 |
| 5 years | $100,667 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to medical/health humanities is Historians, with a median salary of $89,780.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Historians | $89,780 |
| Geographers | $77,391 |
| Sociologists | $74,866 |
| Anthropologists and Archeologists | $72,345 |
| Postsecondary Teachers, All Other | $68,967 |
| Transportation Planners | $50,855 |
| Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other | $47,617 |
| Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other | $42,168 |
Medical/Health Humanities has 5 similar majors in the Health Professions field, which together award 5,068 degrees a year; the largest are Nursing Education (3,970), Bioethics/Medical Ethics (813) and Health Professions Education (141). Browse all Health Professions majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Nursing Education | 3,970 |
| Bioethics/Medical Ethics | 813 |
| Health Professions Education | 141 |
| Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities, Other | 138 |
| Arts in Medicine/Health | 6 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
