Do people with college degrees make more money? That’s a question I answered recently for The Christian Dollar. Yes, college graduates make more, on average, than those without a degree. Unless you picked one of the 10 worst paying college majors.
According to a report by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, individuals with a Bachelor’s degree will make, on average, 74% more than those with only a high school diploma over their lifetimes.
So is a Bachelor’s degree a guarantee that you’ll get a high paying job? It all depends. Because some majors pay more – in fact up to 300% more – than others do.
10 Worst Paying College Majors
Forbes compiled a list of the 10 worst paying college majors, based on the unemployment rate and median earnings for both recent grads and experienced grads. Here they are…
1. Anthropology and Archeology
The unemployment rate for recent grads is 10.5%. Median earnings for recent grads is $28,000. Unemployment rate for experienced grads is 6.2%. Median earnings for experienced grads is $47,000.
2. Film, Video, and Photographic Arts
The unemployment rate for recent grads is 12.9%. Median earnings for recent grads is $30,000. Unemployment rate for experienced grads is 6.7%. Median earnings for experienced grads is $50,000.
3. Fine Arts
The unemployment rate for recent grads is 12.6%. Median earnings for recent grads is $30,000. Unemployment rate for experienced grads is 7.3%. Median earnings for experienced grads is $45,000.
4. Philosophy and Religious Studies
The unemployment rate for recent grads is 10.8%. Median earnings for recent grads is $30,000. Unemployment rate for experienced grads is 6.8%. Median earnings for experienced grads is $48,000.
5. Liberal Arts
The unemployment rate for recent grads is 9.2%. Median earnings for recent grads is $30,000. Unemployment rate for experienced grads is 6.2%. Median earnings for experienced grads is $50,000.
6. Music
The unemployment rate for recent grads is 9.2%. Median earnings for recent grads is $30,000. Unemployment rate for experienced grads is 4.5%. Median earnings for experienced grads is $45,000.
7. Physical Fitness and Parks and Recreation
The unemployment rate for recent grads is 8.3%. Median earnings for recent grads is $30,000. Unemployment rate for experienced grads is 4.5%. Median earnings for experienced grads is $50,000.
8. Commercial Art and Graphic Design
The unemployment rate for recent grads is 11.8%. Median earnings for recent grads is $32,000. Unemployment rate for experienced grads is 7.5%. Median earnings for experienced grads is $49,000.
9. History
The unemployment rate for recent grads is 10.2%. Median earnings for recent grads is $32,000. Unemployment rate for experienced grads is 5.8%. Median earnings for experienced grads is $54,000.
10. English Language and Literature
The unemployment rate for recent grads is 9.2%. Median earnings for recent grads is $32,000. Unemployment rate for experienced grads is 6.2%. Median earnings for experienced grads is $52,000.
Why Are These Majors Worth(less) Than Others?
Many of these 10 worst paying college majors are worthless, I mean, worth less than others, because they are essentially “gen-ed” degrees that don’t necessarily lead to a particular job or specific career path.
Students decide to major in history, liberal arts, art, English lit, because they sound interesting and they may have enjoyed it in high school. But they haven’t really thought through what kinds of jobs those degrees will lead to. And whether anyone will pay them well to do them.
From my perspective, unless you’re just out for a “Sunday drive” with your life, it’s better to think about where you want to go and the find the best road that will take you there, than to just drive down any road that looks pretty, and wonder where it will lead you.
Especially when the cost to go down that road is getting higher and higher every year.
I graduated from college 20 years ago with a major in political science (I’m surprised it didn’t make the list) and a minor in public administration. I’ve worked in the nonprofit and church world ever since. Not exactly a great fit for my poly sci degree, but what is?
Actually, now that I think about it, I have discovered a lot of politics in the church, sadly. So I guess my degree has come in handy after all!
What about you? Does your college major apply to your current career field? Please share your experience in the comments.
Next time, I’ll share the 15 Most Valuable College Majors, which, in general, are much more focused on specific career paths.
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About the author
“Out for a Sunday drive with your life” – that made me laugh. You have to have goals and then figure out a way to achieve them. I with I could have shown this post to some of my friends who were majoring in liberal arts in school. I might be a little biased because I went into engineering, but the path you choose does matter.
OK, I’ll bite…
I was a college history major, and seeing as I went to Duke, I paid a premium for my B.A. I knew I’d go to grad school after my undergrad (most of my peers were also on the grad- or professional-school track), so I was happy to take courses that interested me and expanded my world view.
And that’s the crux of my argument: a liberal arts degree (history falls into that category) shouldn’t be as maligned as it is. It teaches you how to think, how to interpret data, how to see how the future can be predicted by the events of the past, etc. On top of that, a liberal arts degree focuses on communication – written, mostly, but oral as well – and those are skills that are universal in the working world. Am I rattling off facts about pre-Soviet Russia (the focus of my history major) on a daily basis? No. But do I apply the critical thinking, analysis, and communication skills I learned in school? Constantly.
Elizabeth, thanks for your comment! Wow, pre-Soviet Russia, eh? When I was in high school and college, I had a bit of a fascination with the House of Romanov, especially Tsar Nicholas II, the last Russian monarch.