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Are you looking to go to college but scared of choosing a Useless College Degree that leaves you with debt and few career options? While no degree is completely meaningless, some fields offer limited job opportunities and high student loan burdens.
Not all careers require a degree. For example, I’m a copywriter without a journalism or marketing degree, proving that initiative and hands-on learning often outweigh formal education.
While researching, I found many degrees that are becoming obsolete or unnecessary for employment in specific fields. This list of Useless College Degrees highlights sixteen programs with high debt and limited career prospects. If you’re passionate about one of these fields, consider pursuing it as a hobby while earning a degree in a trade or skill that offers more job security.
1. Dance
You’ll notice almost immediately that most of these degrees are related to art. That is not to say that you shouldn’t pursue art; just that degrees don’t always mean you’ll make money.
For instance, the national average annual earnings for dance majors is $45,818. This isn’t bad, but once you have debt, $45,818 a year isn’t going to cut it.
2. Theater
Theater degrees are a lot like dance degrees. While there are jobs out there related to theater and the creative arts, they are few and far between. I’m involved in my local arts scene and constantly see friends and old coworkers fighting for opportunities.
Think about it: what happens if there are hundreds of theater majors in one city but only two theater companies?
3. Photography
None of the professional photographers I know hold a degree in photography. While I understand the need to take specific courses, a two or four-year degree sounds excessive. It’ll leave you with debt when you can start working with enough portfolio pieces and marketing.
If you want to get into photography, just practice. One of my closest friends began her photography business by providing free services to friends. To support her, we left reviews.
4. Sociology
Making money with a sociology degree isn’t very easy. I know of someone with a bachelor’s degree in sociology who constantly switches between different minimum-wage jobs.
According to ZipRecruiter, the average sociology major makes $59,361. However, sociology majors earn just under $22,000 on the low end. And what about debt? The average debt a sociology major held in 2020 was $22,292.
5. Psychology
While you can make good money with a psychology degree, not all psychology degree holders use their education at work. Most mental health-related jobs require at least a master’s and some licenses.
Your options in the mental health world with just a bachelor’s degree are limited, while debt is high. The 2022 median debt for Clinical, Counseling, and Applied Psychology degree holders was $27,439.
6. Anthropology
Anthropology-related jobs don’t just grow on trees. This field is highly competitive. There aren’t too many jobs you can do with this degree related to the field.
Still, some jobs you can apply for include field technician, college professor, advertising, and museum curator. Some people also transition to human resources with anthropology degrees.
7. Culinary Arts
Also on our list are culinary arts degrees. Okay, so this is a bit of a trick. There are plenty of jobs in the culinary world. You can quickly find jobs in hotels, cruise ships, fast food, casual dining, fine dining, catering, bakeries, and more.
The thing is, you don’t need a degree to pursue culinary arts.
8. Biology
College degrees can be helpful during challenging job markets. Still, a bachelor’s degree in biology won’t make you rich overnight. This generic degree might be too broad. You can go into many different careers with a degree in biology, but most have nothing to do with biology!
Interestingly, three of my high school teachers earned bachelor’s degrees in biology. Do you want a laugh? None of the three taught biology.
9. Philosophy
Philosophy is also a pretty useless degree that’ll leave you with way too much debt. Earning an undergraduate degree in philosophy doesn’t open a bunch of doors.
There aren’t many jobs within the field of philosophy. Unless you want to teach at a graduate level, you’ll probably use this degree in a different industry, like marketing or law.
10. Fashion Design
Fashion design is a very specific degree. To get this degree, you have to be sure of the field you’re entering after graduation. Not all fashion-related jobs require a bachelor’s degree, just portfolio pieces and a strong background.
In the world of fashion, it’s more about who you know than about the degrees you hold. Networking is everything.
11. Cultural Studies
I love learning about different cultures and delving deep into my own. It’s so interesting and fascinating, but it doesn’t pay the bills.
While there is nothing wrong with majoring in cultural studies, remember there aren’t too many jobs within each specialization. Still, degrees are useful in general.
12. Geography
Did you know you can get a geography degree? Geography degrees are very specific, especially considering there aren’t a lot of geography jobs. One of my old coworkers just completed her bachelor’s degree in geography. She’s working as a national park ranger with nearly $40,000 in student loan debt.
You aren’t just limited to creating maps or working for national parks. Other jobs that accept geography degrees include market researcher, librarian, writer, urban planner, and environmental scientist.
13. Advertising
Advertising degrees aren’t worth it. You don’t need one to enter the world of marketing or paid ads. Not only do I work as a copywriter, but I also write and publish Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon ads.
And guess what? I don’t hold a degree in advertising. There are career prospects but also a lot of debt. Advertisers and marketing roles aren’t the most stable either. They are the first jobs cut during hard times.
14. Film
Can you guess another degree that only gives you debt and not job opportunities? Film. Like theater, film degrees can help you land a job in the industry but aren’t necessary.
They are also incredibly expensive, especially if you attend a private university. One of my old high school friends went to a private university to study film and left with over $50,000 in student debt.
15. English
I’m a writer, so it’s funny to say this, but English degrees can be pretty useless. A bachelor’s degree in English opens doors, but the pay isn’t the best. For instance, many English degree holders become teachers. Teacher pay isn’t known for being high.
English degrees are also costly. The median debt for English majors in 2022 was $22,501.
16. Creative Writing
The last useless college degree I’ll discuss is creative writing. Don’t get me wrong; I think creative writing is an excellent skill. But honing this skill is all about practice and learning, not necessarily formal education.
Plenty of prominent authors don’t have creative writing degrees. Ray Bradbury, the author of Fahrenheit 451, didn’t even attend college, yet he became a household name.
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