A new study by the Academy’s Humanities Indicators staff reveals significant changes in students’ majors from the time they begin their baccalaureate studies to when they complete a degree (if they do). The data focused on the cohort of students who began their studies in fall 2017 and their status as of June 2024.

Select Prizes and Awards to Members

National Commission seeks recommendations from leaders in foreign policy, national defense, international diplomacy in preparation for report to Congress.

"Access to Justice," the Fall 2019 issue of Daedalus, is only the first of several efforts sponsored by the Academy to gather information about the national need for improved legal access, study innovations piloted around the country to fill this need, and advance a set of clear, national recommendations for closing the justice gap.

Ten business leaders, 252 organizations across the country issue call to action

The White House’s proposed budget cuts to language and exchange programs will make America less able to communicate with and understand our allies and potential adversaries abroad, argues Karl Eikenberry, citing Academy report.

Residents of Alabama are asked “Is America headed in the right or wrong direction?” and reporter Tim Lockette wonders if the Academy’s recommendations for reinventing democracy could be a way forward.

​​​​​​​Why has China, for so much of its history, been the most populous country in the world? How were the states that were formed in China able to rule larger territories and populations and maintain centralized structures longer than governments elsewhere?

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences has received a $750,000 grant from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to advance the Academy's work on statistical indicators for the humanities.

Report urges sustained federal investments in research and offers recommendations on rejuvenating the American dream.

First national study of language learning in 30 years was requested from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences by a bipartisan group of members of U.S. Senate & House of Representatives

On April 11, 2019, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences presented the inaugural Award for Excellence in Public Policy and Public Affairs to Ernest J. Moniz, the 13th Secretary of Energy of the United States. Ashton Carter, who served as the 25th Secretary of Defense of the United States and is the current Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School, introduced Secretary Moniz and presented the award. An edited version of Secretary Moniz’s acceptance remarks appears below.

Projects in the Education program area examine the vital role that education plays in our nation and the world. Work in this area seeks to inform policy and practice in support of high-quality educational opportunities for all Americans. From advancing equitable educational outcomes to leveraging new developments in the learning sciences and digital technologies to understanding the vital role that public universities play as engines of economic growth, innovation, social mobility, and citizenship, projects in this area draw on scholars and practitioners from diverse fields to provide guidance and actionable solutions to policymakers, higher education leaders, and philanthropists.

Daylong symposium at MIT showcases innovative ways of sharing facts and building trust in research results, featuring the Public Face of Science project.

2020–2021 Academy Governance & Committees

An examination of the financial advantage earning a bachelor’s degree, in any major, provides over not attaining the degree.