Most Americans are aware of the benefits offered by a college education: in addition to some of the more intangible benefits, students obtain the knowledge, develop the skills, and make the connections to improve their job prospects. But for many college-aged Americans and their parents, obtaining a higher education is no longer the given it once was. There has been much recent public outcry against the massive levels of debt students incur, and an increasing number of Americans no longer believe it is worth the cost. Even for those who do still choose to go the college route, the importance of paying of debt as soon as possible may have a big impact on the paths freshmen choose to take. Based on recently released data from the US Census Bureau, some college majors may earn far less than others.
To determine the lowest paying college majors, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on earnings from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample files, the most recent available data. Undergraduate college majors were ranked based on the average reported incomes of degree holders in 2021.
When we choose a college major, there are many questions one must consider. Some choose their major based on personal passions for the arts or interest in certain subjects. Some choose a major that focuses on helping people, like special needs education. Other considerations may include future earnings potential. (These are the 30 college majors with higher earnings for Black versus white graduates.)
Both fine arts and special needs education are among the lowest-paying majors because the jobs that these majors prepare students for tend to be low-paying. Many arts-related jobs, including visual, performing, and studio arts, are on this list, alongside teaching jobs, social work, community organization, and other historically low-paying jobs.
Education majors, however, are dominant in this list. A career as an educator can be highly rewarding, but those choosing to pursue this career, even after a four-year education, should know that the median American public school teacher salary, as of 2023, was $56,026, according to Salary.com. (These are America’s best public high schools.)
Click here to see the lowest paying college majors.
Click here to see our detailed methodology.
25. Fine arts
> Avg. annual earnings: $42,887
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 25.4%
> Unemployment rate: 6.6%
> No. degree holders: 939,448
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24. Social science or history teacher education
> Avg. annual earnings: $42,343
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 49.9%
> Unemployment rate: 2.9%
> No. degree holders: 245,657
23. Educational psychology
> Avg. annual earnings: $41,994
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 64.6%
> Unemployment rate: 1.8%
> No. degree holders: 40,967
22. Social work
> Avg. annual earnings: $41,861
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 51.2%
> Unemployment rate: 3.3%
> No. degree holders: 860,607
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21. Theology and religious vocations
> Avg. annual earnings: $41,687
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 44.8%
> Unemployment rate: 2.8%
> No. degree holders: 494,459
20. Studio arts
> Avg. annual earnings: $41,508
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 30.1%
> Unemployment rate: 6.9%
> No. degree holders: 153,403
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19. Visual and performing arts
> Avg. annual earnings: $41,416
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 26.4%
> Unemployment rate: 6.0%
> No. degree holders: 112,450
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18. Human services and community organization
> Avg. annual earnings: $41,412
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 32.6%
> Unemployment rate: 4.1%
> No. degree holders: 170,259
17. Mathematics teacher education
> Avg. annual earnings: $40,477
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 55.4%
> Unemployment rate: 1.6%
> No. degree holders: 170,260
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16. Physical and health education teaching
> Avg. annual earnings: $40,413
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 41.9%
> Unemployment rate: 3.1%
> No. degree holders: 464,182
15. Cosmetology services and culinary arts
> Avg. annual earnings: $39,508
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 9.1%
> Unemployment rate: 9.8%
> No. degree holders: 71,616
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14. Special needs education
> Avg. annual earnings: $37,994
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 58.7%
> Unemployment rate: 2.7%
> No. degree holders: 399,567
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13. Family and consumer sciences
> Avg. annual earnings: $37,898
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 30.0%
> Unemployment rate: 4.1%
> No. degree holders: 700,518
12. Social psychology
> Avg. annual earnings: $37,808
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 43.6%
> Unemployment rate: 3.8%
> No. degree holders: 19,036
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11. Science and computer teacher education
> Avg. annual earnings: $37,537
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 58.6%
> Unemployment rate: 2.8%
> No. degree holders: 138,903
10. Art and music education
> Avg. annual earnings: $35,750
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 47.4%
> Unemployment rate: 3.1%
> No. degree holders: 462,421
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9. Early childhood education
> Avg. annual earnings: $35,094
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 38.4%
> Unemployment rate: 2.2%
> No. degree holders: 361,173
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8. General education
> Avg. annual earnings: $34,533
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 48.1%
> Unemployment rate: 2.7%
> No. degree holders: 3,201,869
7. Language and drama education
> Avg. annual earnings: $34,393
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 56.1%
> Unemployment rate: 2.5%
> No. degree holders: 405,401
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6. Teacher education
> Avg. annual earnings: $33,256
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 47.4%
> Unemployment rate: 1.8%
> No. degree holders: 180,518
5. Secondary teacher education
> Avg. annual earnings: $32,650
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 53.9%
> Unemployment rate: 2.0%
> No. degree holders: 404,469
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4. Miscellaneous education
> Avg. annual earnings: $31,436
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 45.7%
> Unemployment rate: 3.6%
> No. degree holders: 374,619
3. School student counseling
> Avg. annual earnings: $30,301
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 93.2%
> Unemployment rate: 0.9%
> No. degree holders: 28,956
2. Elementary education
> Avg. annual earnings: $29,730
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 46.2%
> Unemployment rate: 2.0%
> No. degree holders: 2,569,372
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1. Library science
> Avg. annual earnings: $22,742
> Graduates with master’s degree or higher: 60.7%
> Unemployment rate: 5.1%
> No. degree holders: 47,735
Methodology
To determine the lowest paying college majors, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on earnings from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample files. Undergraduate college majors were ranked based on the average reported incomes of degree holders in 2021.
Data on unemployment, highest level of educational attainment, and number of degree holders were calculated using field of degree data from the Census Bureau. The Census considers the first degree listed by survey respondents in response to the prompt: “Please print below the specific major(s) of any BACHELOR’S DEGREES this person has received” to be their major undergraduate field of degree.
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