5 Worst College Majors for Your Career
Some fields of study can lead to low pay and limited job opportunities.
College is expensive, and student loans can take years to repay, so it makes sense to study a subject that will quite literally pay off in the long run. Equally important, it helps to know which majors are unlikely to lead to fat paychecks and ample employment opportunities.
We analyzed data for 126 popular college majors to determine which majors typically come with the best hiring prospects and pay. Here are the 5 majors that landed at the bottom of the list.
1. Photography
Starting salary: $38,600 (median for all majors: $43,250)
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Mid-career salary: $56,500 (median for all majors: $74,700)
Annual online job postings: 7,788
2. Art
Starting salary: $37,000
Mid-career salary: $59,600
Annual online job postings: 12,562
3. Radio & Television
Starting salary: $38,600
Mid-career salary: $64,100
Annual online job postings: 7,355
4. Anthropology
Starting salary: $40,500
Mid-career salary: $63,200
Annual online job postings: 733
5. Graphic Design
Starting salary: $40,200
Mid-career salary: $61,700
Annual online job postings: 30,910
See more of the worst college majors for your career.
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Rapacon joined Kiplinger in October 2007 as a reporter with Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine and became an online editor for Kiplinger.com in June 2010. She previously served as editor of the "Starting Out" column, focusing on personal finance advice for people in their twenties and thirties.
Before joining Kiplinger, Rapacon worked as a senior research associate at b2b publishing house Judy Diamond Associates. She holds a B.A. degree in English from the George Washington University.
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