Special Report

These Are the 25 Lowest Paying College Majors

Chris Ryan / OJO Images via Getty Images

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.

nd3000 / iStock via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad]

utah778 / iStock via Getty Images

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

monkeybusinessimages / iStock via Getty Images

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

Drazen Zigic / iStock via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad-2]

pcess609 / iStock via Getty Images

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

AnnaStills / iStock via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad]

Nagaiets / iStock via Getty Images

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

pixelfit / E+ via Getty Images

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

Drazen_ / E+ via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad-2]

sturti / E+ via Getty Images

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

YakobchukOlena / iStock via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad]

SolStock / E+ via Getty Images

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

skynesher / E+ via Getty Images

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

dusanpetkovic / iStock via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad-2]

Hispanolistic / E+ via Getty Images

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

Tomasz Śmigla / iStock via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad]

SDI Productions / E+ via Getty Images

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

skynesher / E+ via Getty Images

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

vgajic / E+ via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad-2]

Joe Raedle / Getty Images News via Getty Images

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

JohnnyGreig / E+ via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad]

golero / E+ via Getty Images

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

SDI Productions / E+ via Getty Images

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

kali9 / E+ via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad-2]

GaudiLab / iStock via Getty Images

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.

 

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.