HUMANITIES PAY OFF: Do STEM majors really make much more money than those in the belittled arts and humanities? According to numbers compiled by author (and EdSurge’s former landlord), George Anders, the gap is sharp immediately after graduation, but shrinks after 10 years. And consider this: according to the Brookings Institution, lifetime earnings for the top highest-paid philosophy majors reached $3.75 million. For computer science majors? $3.2 million.