The College Majors To Avoid If You Want To Be Rich

Undergrad degrees with the poorest pay prospects

Student loan debt in America currently totals more than $1.75 trillion, with each borrower owing an average of $28,950, according to data published by Forbes.

It's no surprise, then, that many students dream of landing a high-paying role after they graduate. Unfortunately, not every college major leads to a first job with a bumper salary...

Read on to discover the 20 college majors that result in the lowest annual salary, based on data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. All dollar amounts in US dollars.

General Education – $40,200

Most of the undergrads who pursue careers in education aren't hoping to make millions – though not many will expect discrepancies in pay among their colleagues.

Of all the majors to prepare future teachers, specializing in General Education can be the most lucrative. Typically taking home $40,200 a year, these grads receive slightly more than students of Elementary, Miscellaneous, Early Childhood, and Special Education.

Health Services – $40,000

Health Services grads aren't exactly in line for a windfall after graduation, typically making $40,000 per year. This might be a bitter pill to swallow, considering Nursing and Pharmacy both make it onto the list of top 20 highest-paying majors.

Fine Arts – $40,000

Making a living from art has never been easy and creatives who choose to work in this field are frequently restricted to low-skilled work that pays poorly.

The median early career salary for Fine Arts grads is $40,000, although things do improve by mid-career when earnings tend to jump to around $65,000.

Sociology – $40,000

​With popular careers for Sociology grads including counselling and social work, it's clear this major can lead to rewarding jobs. Unfortunately, they're not quite so rewarding when it comes to pay; these graduates also earn a median salary of just $40,000 a year.

Anthropology – $40,000

A degree in Anthropology, the study of humanity, can furnish grads with a broad range of skills that are applicable to roles in everything from federal government to museums. 

While becoming a professional anthropologist will require a master's degree or doctorate, students who enter the workplace with just a bachelor's degree report a median early-career salary of $40,000.

Earth Sciences – $40,000

Salaries for Earth Science graduates, who study the physical and chemical make-up of the planet and its atmosphere, are unlikely to rock your world. A bachelor's degree could lead to a variety of different careers such as urban planning, environmental consulting, and roles in the petrochemicals industry, but the median yearly wage for recent grads teeters around $40,000.

Biology – $40,000

Biologists also make a median salary of $40,000, but their earning potential is much higher than most other graduates on this list. By mid-career, they could expect to take home $75,000 a year, which is $15,000 higher than the median mid-career salary earned by Health Services grads and $10,000 higher than that of Anthropology grads. If you're interested in the human body and want to maximize your pay, Biology might be the way to go...

Liberal Arts – $40,000

With subjects in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) dominating the list of most lucrative majors, it's unsurprising that Liberal Arts students are among the worst-paid graduates after college. Humanities students who specialize in Liberal Arts earn a median salary of $40,000 a year in their early careers.

English Language – $40,000

English Language is also unlikely to land graduates in a high-paying career, with students reporting a median annual salary of $40,000 after leaving college. Getting a dual major in English Language and Journalism could significantly increase your salary expectations; according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Journalism grads typically earn $45,000 in their early career, rising to $75,000 by mid-career. 

Miscellaneous Education – $40,000

Graduates with a degree in Miscellaneous Education can go on to have careers in a range of educational settings, but none of them is likely to result in a sky-high salary. Miscellaneous Education grads report a median early-career salary of $40,000.

Special Education – $40,000

Teaching children and adults who need additional support to succeed is a career that's crucial to the lives of millions – in fact, 14.5% of all students in America were special education students in 2020-21. Like college grads who specialize in Miscellaneous Education, Special Education grads typically take home $40,000 a year.

Elementary Education – $40,000

This major gives graduates the qualifications they need to teach elementary school children. But this important work won't bring in a bumper salary. As seen with other similar degrees in the top 20 lowest-paid majors, entry-level roles aren't lucrative with a median salary of $40,000.

Early Childhood Education – $40,000

While teaching preschoolers is generally considered to be a worthwhile and fulfilling career, it's notoriously low paid. Like their colleagues in elementary schools and special education, undergraduates can expect to make just $40,000 a year after college.

Mass Media – $40,000

We might be living in a digital age, but students who specialize in Mass Media at college don't make massive salaries in the workplace. The median salary for these grads at the start of their career is $40,000, although they do have better earning potential than most majors on our list – according to the data, most can expect to take home $75,000 a year by the middle of their career.

Performing Arts – $39,000

Very few Performing Arts students walk straight into a starring role on Broadway or land a vocal gig in the next big Pixar movie straight after graduation. It's perhaps not much of a surprise, then, that they're making a median annual salary of just $39,000 after college, making this the first college major on the list that typically brings graduates less than $40,000.

Leisure and Hospitality – $38,000

Leisure and Hospitality workers are responsible for providing a gold standard of service – and some in the luxury sector might even count the world's wealthiest people among their clientele. However, grads with a relevant degree are unlikely to earn big bucks, taking home a median wage of $38,000 a year.

Psychology – $37,400

Psychology grads might have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the human mind, but this doesn't translate to a high salary in the workplace. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reports that these students earn a median salary of $37,400 at the start of their careers.

Social Services – $37,000

Social workers can make a huge difference to people's lives. Sadly, though, these important jobs are rarely well-paid; graduates with a Social Services major report a median starting salary of $37,000, rising to just $52,000 by mid-career. That's slightly lower than the median annual salary in the US.

Family and Consumer Sciences – $37,000

Studying Family and Consumer Sciences, a degree that focuses on the development of children and young families, will typically lead to a job with a starting salary of $37,000. This can rise to a respectable $60,000 by mid-career. 

Family and Consumer Sciences can open the door to careers such as support worker and nutritionist. As this degree can cover economics topics such as financial planning, however, some graduates may choose to enter more lucrative careers in finance and business.

Lowest: Theology and Religion – $36,000

It's highly unlikely that any student chooses Theology and Religion because they think it'll make them rich, but it might still surprise you to learn they take home the lowest median salary on our list at just $36,000 a year. This jumps to $52,000 by mid-career, with jobs ranging from practicing ministers or pastors to teachers of Religious Education. 

Hoping for a healthier paycheck? See the college majors that will make you the most money