News & Trending Jobs & Career News

10 Previously Prestigious College Degrees That Employers Find Useless Today

Once-prestigious degrees are losing ground with employers.

By Chris Lewis, CEPF , Edited by Calista Headrick

Updated Oct. 6, 2026

Add Us On Google

A college degree still helps many people get ahead financially, but your major matters more than your school. What were once prestigious degrees are no longer surefire pathways into the modern job market.

In the second quarter of 2026, 42% of recent college graduates were underemployed, meaning they worked in jobs that typically don't require a bachelor's degree. The median recent grad earned $58,000 early in their career, per the New York Fed's major-level data.

Here are 10 once-prestigious college degrees that are not worth what they used to be.

Editor's note: Underemployment data comes from the New York Fed.

Resolve $10,000 or more of your debt

National Debt Relief could help you resolve your credit card debt with an affordable plan that works for you. Just tell them your situation, then find out your debt relief options.¹ <p>Please note that all calls with the company may be recorded or monitored for quality assurance and training purposes. Clients who are able to stay with the program and get all their debt settled realize approximate savings of 45% before fees, or 20% including our fees, over 24 to 48 months. All claims are based on enrolled debts. Not all debts are eligible for enrollment. Not all clients complete our program for various reasons, including their ability to save sufficient funds. Estimates based on prior results, which will vary based on specific circumstances. We do not guarantee that your debts will be lowered by a specific amount or percentage or that you will be debt-free within a specific period of time. We do not assume consumer debt, make monthly payments to creditors or provide tax, bankruptcy, accounting or legal advice or credit repair services. Not available in all states. Please contact a tax professional to discuss tax consequences of settlement. Please consult with a bankruptcy attorney for more information on bankruptcy. Depending on your state, we may be available to recommend a local tax professional and/or bankruptcy attorney. Read and understand all program materials prior to enrollment, including potential adverse impact on credit rating. "Debt-Free" applies only to enrolled credit cards, personal loans, and medical bills. Not mortgages, car loans, or other debts. Results vary.</p>

Liberal arts

Humanities majors accounted for nearly 15% of new bachelor's degrees in 2005, but just 8.4% in 2024, according to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Recent general liberal arts graduates have a 54.6% underemployment rate and median early-career earnings of $45,000.

A 2024 Burning Glass Institute and Strada report said many employers appear to place a premium on quantitative skills and suggested that liberal arts students add courses such as statistics and data analysis.

Shopping for cheaper auto insurance? Enter your zip code here to get started.

English

Most employers value communication skills, but they don't necessarily need English majors to find them. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says writers and authors typically need a bachelor's degree in English, communications, or a related field. BLS also projects that increased use of AI for writing will limit demand.

Recent English majors have a 48.5% underemployment rate and median early-career earnings of $48,000. A FREOPP analysis also found that English degrees generally produce a relatively low return on investment.

Fine arts

About 58.9% of recent fine arts graduates are underemployed, while median early-career earnings are $45,000. FREOPP found that fine arts programs leave graduates financially worse off most of the time.

BLS says graphic designers typically need a degree in graphic design or a related fine arts field, but it expects employment to decline by 2% from 2025 through 2035 as automated tools, including AI, enable designers to work more efficiently.

Performing arts

The performing arts have the second-highest underemployment rate among the 73 majors tracked by the New York Fed, at 63.9%, and median early-career earnings are just $44,000. FREOPP estimates that a University of Southern California drama degree, which costs more than $160,000 over four years, has an ROI of -$540,000.

A degree isn't always necessary. BLS says musicians and singers typically need no formal postsecondary education.

Foreign languages

Recent foreign-language graduates have a low unemployment rate of 1.6%, yet 54% are underemployed, with median early-career earnings of $48,000.

BLS says AI translation tools have made interpreters and translators more productive, reducing demand for workers. Still, it only projects employment in the occupation will grow just 2% from 2025 through 2035. Microsoft researchers also gave interpreters and translators the highest AI applicability score of any occupation studied, though they cautioned that the measure isn't a forecast of job losses.

Psychology

Recent psychology graduates earn a median $45,000 early in their careers, and 48.3% are underemployed. FREOPP also found psychology degrees generally have a low ROI.

Many careers in the field require more school. BLS says psychologists typically need at least a master's degree, and that often means debt. Borrowers who earned psychology research doctorates in 2024 had a median education debt of $65,000, the highest among broad doctoral fields, according to the National Science Foundation.

Make Money: 8 dumb ways to make money (almost anyone can do this)

Sociology

The occupation that shares the degree's name is tiny. BLS counts only about 2,700 sociologist jobs nationwide, and becoming a sociologist typically requires at least a master's degree. Many people with a background in sociology work instead as policy analysts, survey researchers, or statisticians, BLS says.

Recent sociology graduates have a 52% underemployment rate and median early-career earnings of $49,900.

Communications

A communications degree applies to plenty of jobs, but it doesn't point to one in particular. Recent communications graduates have a 53% underemployment rate and median early-career earnings of $52,000.

Just 55% of all workers with communications degrees held jobs requiring at least a bachelor's degree in 2023, compared with 62% across all degree fields, according to BLS.

Journalism

U.S. newsroom employment fell 26% between 2008 and 2020, according to Pew Research Center. BLS projects a 6% decline in employment for news analysts, reporters, and journalists from 2025 through 2035, pointing to declining advertising revenue and media consolidation. As traditional journalism and newsrooms recede, prospects aren't what they used to be.

Recent journalism graduates earn a median $49,000 early in their careers, though median mid-career earnings reach $87,000.

Earn as much as $1K doing simple online tasks

A company called Freecash has compiled all sorts of quick cash tasks from about a dozen advertisers and market research companies thirsty for more data. Freecash has paid out over $13 million to users since 2019, and has over 50,000 five-star reviews on Trustpilot.

Education

Education was the most popular college major in 1970-71, with 21% of bachelor's degrees. By 2019-20, the share had fallen to roughly 4%, according to Pew Research Center.

Elementary education has a low underemployment rate of 16.2%, but the trade-off is pay. Recent graduates earn a median of $45,000 early in their careers. Teachers earned 25.2% less than comparable college graduates in 2025, versus a 6.1% gap in 1996, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

Bottom line

These degrees aren't worthless, and plenty of graduates build successful careers with them. The bigger issue is that the credential alone may not carry the weight it once did. Students choosing a major should consider likely earnings, underemployment, graduate school requirements, and total college costs before committing.

For current students and graduates, adding practical experience may matter more than pursuing another degree. The National Association of Colleges and Employers says employers continue to value hands-on experience, internships, and career-readiness skills as skills-based hiring reshapes entry-level recruiting. Building those skills could improve your job options and help you keep more of your money instead of taking on additional tuition costs.

More from FinanceBuzz: