
The lowest-paying college degrees can have a significant impact on lifetime earnings. While salary is only one factor when choosing a major, some fields consistently generate lower wages than othersmaking it more difficult to pay off those insane college loans they took out.
This visualization ranks America’s lowest paying college degrees based on median mid-career wages. The data comes from the New York Fed and highlights which majors have the lowest earning potential in 2024. Education majors account for many of the lowest paying college degrees in America. Early childhood education ranks last overall, with a median mid-career wage of $52k.
Fine arts and performing arts both rank among the lowest-paying majors, with median mid-career wages of $72k and $75k, respectively. Several health-related degrees also make the list. Health services, nutrition sciences, and treatment therapy all report median mid-career wages below $71k.











































