Ranked: America's 20 Lowest-Paying College Degrees
Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, this article ranks the 20 college degrees with the lowest median annual earnings in America. Early childhood education, social work, and theology top the list as the lowest-paying majors, many of which are in fields like education, arts, and social services, with median earnings often below $60,000 per year.
Background
- The article ranks college degrees by median early-career pay (ages 22–27), using data from the New York Federal Reserve. Early-career pay is a key metric because it shows which majors lead to well-paying jobs shortly after graduation — important given the rising cost of tuition in the US.
- All 20 lowest-paying degrees are in the arts, humanities, education, or social sciences. The lowest is early childhood education (~$35K median), followed by therapeutic & health education, and studio arts.
- For context, the highest-paying degrees (engineering, computer science, finance) have early-career medians above $70K–$80K, roughly double those at the bottom. The gap reflects structural demand in the US economy: tech and business fields pay a premium, while degrees tied to public-sector or creative careers (teaching, social work, the arts) tend to pay less, even if they have social value.
- The list does not control for graduate school — many who study education or psychology go on to get master's degrees, which later raise their earnings. The data also shows degree-holders, not just those working in their field of study.