8 College Degrees with the Worst Return on Investment

[thelakelander]

What's more expensive than going to college? Until recently, the answer was easy: not going to college. Numerous studies over the years have shown that individuals with college degrees significantly out-earn those with high school degrees by $1 million or more over the course of a lifetime.

But as the cost of education increases faster than inflation and the economy remains relatively weak, people are beginning to question how they spend their education dollars. As student loans hit the $1 trillion mark and more and more graduates are faced with years of paying staggering monthly payments, many are starting to ask themselves, "Is it worth it?"

8. Sociology

7. Fine Arts

6. Education

5. Religious Studies/Theology

4. Hospitality/Tourism

3. Nutrition

2. Psychology

1. Communications

http://salary.com/8-college-degrees-with-the-worst-return-on-investment/

[CityLife]

I have a hard time with hospitality being on there. Not sure they were able to differentiate the levels of achievement/salary of those with degrees in each field vs. those without. For instance managers at La Quinta Inn, Holiday Inn, etc with no college experience's salaries may have been used as much as corporate hotel guru's that went to Cornell.

Also, where's English?

[Tacachale]

That's really dumb. Looking at only jobs that require that degree, rather than what people who earn it actually do, is silly.

[carpnter]

I have a hard time with hospitality being on there. Not sure they were able to differentiate the levels of achievement/salary of those with degrees in each field vs. those without. For instance managers at La Quinta Inn, Holiday Inn, etc with no college experience's salaries may have been used as much as corporate hotel guru's that went to Cornell.

Also, where's English?

It was probably at #9 

[KenFSU]

Just curious, what degree(s) did the posters here pursue, and are you still in those fields?

My degree was in Economics, but most of my jobs have been in engineering.

[Tacachale]

BA in English and working on my master's. I didn't do it to get a job in "English", whatever that would be, but because it's what I'm passionate about. My background, particularly the ability to write fairly well, has helped immeasurably in most everything I've done since. My job is only one aspect of my life, but it definitely helps here too.

[thelakelander]

My degree is in Architecture.  I worked in the field for seven years before making the full switch to Planning.

[fsquid]

Accounting

[riverside planner]

My BA is in Sociology, which I feel prepared me quite well to pursue an advanced degree in planning, which is more or less what I've been doing for the past 14 years.  The fact that a degree does or does not have a "good" financial return on investment misses the boat on whether or not that degree is worth pursuing.  Studying sociology equipped me with the tools to look at the bigger picture and recognize that things are not as black and white as they seem.  STEM programs are important, but so is nurturing creative and critical thinking.

[JFman00]

BA in Political Economy, concentration in IR. Military aviation. May move to something closer to my degree in the future. As an operator, a STEM background is much less immediately useful in my field than one might imagine though there is a concerted push to move in that direction.

[tufsu1]

BA in Communications (#1 on the list)...Broadcast Journalism more specifically...and a minor in Geography & Urban Studies...which led to an MS in Urban & Regional Planning...and my current profession.

And while I'm nor working directly in Communications, I believe my degree has been invaluable in my profession...I learned to write better and most importantly, how to present

[Debbie Thompson]

Where is history?  While fascinating (at least to me) my son's degree in history was not exactly well, shall we say, economically advantageous?

And, as others have posted, many people I know with one degree pursue vocations in others.  I worked in a real estate development company once, and one of our associates had a degree in forestry.  He was working in an area of the company developing apartments and shopping centers.

Of course, when I think about it, if you have one of the above degrees, you may already have figured out you need to pursue a vocation outside of that field to get a good ROI!!  LOL

[spuwho]

This thread assumes one must get a financial return on ones college investment. There are other forms of "return" that aren't measured financially.

I can think of many people with MBA's who worked in the Peace Corp or did social work and still haven't paid off the loans they took, but they don't care because they absolutely love what they do. The personal return was far, far greater than the financial one.

Yet, I know someone with a literature degree who went into technology and worked for 15 years and absolutely hated it. Did he pay off his student loans?....sure....but if you asked him his "return" was zero because he felt he wasted 15 years of his life. Now he works in script development for Hollywood and loves it.

As I noted, return is relative.

[JFman00]

This thread assumes one must get a financial return on ones college investment. There are other forms of "return" that aren't measured financially.

I can think of many people with MBA's who worked in the Peace Corp or did social work and still haven't paid off the loans they took, but they don't care because they absolutely love what they do. The personal return was far, far greater than the financial one.

Yet, I know someone with a literature degree who went into technology and worked for 15 years and absolutely hated it. Did he pay off his student loans?....sure....but if you asked him his "return" was zero because he felt he wasted 15 years of his life. Now he works in script development for Hollywood and loves it.

As I noted, return is relative.

The Peace Corps is one of the most competitive internship-type experiences out there and can be an invaluable line on a resume. I don't doubt the good intentions and compassion of the volunteers, but I think it'd be wrong to say that they're foregoing a comfortable and affluent life in the long run. Same thing for Americorps or Teach For America. Several of my friends have used these programs as stepping stones away from a humanities major to bolster their resumes or applications for lucrative masters/professional degrees.

[Debbie Thompson]

College is never wasted.  Knowledge is never wasted. So spuwho is right about what constitutes "return."  But if you look at the economics only, it used to be that college was absolutely necessary to getting a good job.  Now that I know people who are reaching retirement age and still saddled with student loans they are still paying off, one must wonder if going to college and taking on a lifetime of debt which can't be discharged, and will never be paid off before you die, is worth it.  Of course, there are state colleges that don't cost as much, if you can get into one or there is one in your area.  Interesting discussion.