(NEXSTAR) – With the rising expenses of higher education, many young adults and their financially burdened parents are re-evaluating the value of earning a college degree. The decision about whether it’s worthwhile might greatly depend on the field of study chosen.
Not every degree will provide the same return on investment, with some having higher unemployment rates and lower income prospects post-graduation.
This year, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has refreshed a database that lets individuals examine which college majors typically result in the highest – and lowest – earnings for graduates.
Recent graduates with degrees in foreign languages earn the least, with a median income of $40,000. Majors in social sciences and performing arts do not see significantly better financial outcomes, according to the analysis.
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Over time, education majors seem to have the lowest income ceiling. Those who studied early childhood education, elementary education, special education and other related fields not only had low early-career wages, but those wages stayed relatively low even in mid-career.
Anthropology majors, meanwhile, found themselves with the highest unemployment rate at 9.4%.
| Major | Unemployment rate | Underemployment rate | Median early-career wage | Median mid-career wage | Share with graduate degree |
| Foreign Language | 4.0% | 51.1% | $40,000 | $70,000 | 50.5% |
| General Social Sciences | 3.3% | 54.1% | $41,000 | $75,000 | 40.3% |
| Performing Arts | 2.7% | 62.3% | $41,900 | $70,000 | 37.3% |
| Anthropology | 9.4% | 55.9% | $42,000 | $70,000 | 46.7% |
| Early Childhood Education | 1.3% | 22.1% | $42,000 | $49,000 | 43.1% |
| Family and Consumer Sciences | 2.7% | 39.8% | $42,000 | $62,000 | 36.1% |
| General Education | 3.3% | 22.8% | $42,000 | $55,000 | 52.0% |
| Miscellaneous Biological Science | 3.1% | 49.0% | $42,000 | $75,000 | 60.0% |
| Social Services | 1.7% | 31.8% | $42,000 | $54,000 | 51.9% |
| Theology and Religion | 3.1% | 42.9% | $42,000 | $60,000 | 45.6% |
The U.S. Census Bureau hasn’t released updated data yet in 2025, but the latest available data from the Bureau showed similar findings. Those with a bachelor’s degree in visual and performing arts, education, psychology, multidisciplinary studies, and literature and languages had the lowest median income.
Low wages can add insult to injury if a recent graduate finds themselves weighed down by hefty student loans. As student loan collections have restarted in the U.S., millions are having trouble keeping up with payments and getting hit with credit score penalties. In March, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York estimated about 25% of people with student loan accounts were more than 3 months behind on payments.
The average cost of attending college in the U.S. is $38,000 per year when you account for tuition, supplies and living expenses, according to the Education Data Initiative.
On the other side of the spectrum from education and the arts are the students who majored in engineering, computer science, physics, finance and math. Those fields of study tend to have the highest early- and mid-career earnings.
