The 20 worst-paying college degrees in 2010

[Jumpem]

Fixed. :hmm:

We both went to a private school, and came out with about $70k combined, without assistance from our parents. We are much better off earning $10k a month, and having to pay off the student loans, than earning much much less and not having student loans.

 

[Gibsons]

Yeah, my degree is not going to do me a whole lot of favors in the job market. Granted, it's actually the type of work I DO want to get into, but I'm going to need to get more education to have a chance at the big federal jobs that I really want.

International Studies: Security and Intelligence .... (my major specialization/concentration) - a fancy mix of Poli Sci and the soft sciences (behavioral / social sciences)

It's actually a really good degree but there is next to nothing that it immediately applies toward in the job market - later with military experience it could be pretty helpful though - that and a masters or something.

Did your major include foreign languages? That can be an entry to lots of things.

 

[destrekor]

Did your major include foreign languages? That can be an entry to lots of things.

But if you list the foreign language, they expect you to be able to at least display an ability to slightly communicate in said language, if not do so fluently. ^_^

Russian was hell. 6 courses of hell. (and that's not counting repeats)

I LOVE the language. But I can't possibly do anything real with it at the moment. I really should push myself through all of the Rosetta Stone courses and try and keep immersed in something Russian at all times. I'd love to become fluent but I just don't find myself filled with the enthusiasm necessary to invest that kind of effort.
I know how I learn: I have to be completely enthralled by a subject to really walk away feeling like I learned anything. One of these days I hope I just get that spark in my head and say "dammit, that does sound like a great idea. I'm gonna do this!". And I hope it's soon so I don't forget everything from the college courses.

 

[Dubb]

They missed one. Architecture should be in the top 10, maybe top five if they had current figures.

Let's just say I'm glad that I'll have my Arch. professional degree with no debt.

 

[bobeedee]

interdisciplinary studies is just a fancier name for General Studies, or worthless degree.

The football and basketball players on a free ride have to take something...

 

[Fingolfin269]

Child and family studies? wtf would pay money to a college to study that?

 

[tatteredpotato]

Yeesh.
I had 8am classes - though I did try to avoid those like the plague.
Not because I hated being up in the morning, though I absolutely did hate the morning, but I wanted to shower before going to other classes. Physical training and other fun cadet stuff like the military classes were all awesomely early - I needed breakfast and a shower before I could continue on with my day.

My last semester I didn't have class till noon, most classes were in the evening though.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Reminds me of a friend of a friend. For her Master's, she went to Harvard and got a degree in comparative religious studies or maybe it was Asian religious studies. Not terribly surprising that her current salary is probably reflected in that list.

 

[steppinthrax]

From reading that list, you don't even have to tell me those are the worst paying degrees. These degrees have probably always been low pay.

 

[MetalMat]

Liberal arts degrees have always been the lowballers of the group. Sure some people have made tons of money with a lib arts degree but those are very few and far between.

If you go to a very expensive school and come out with a lib arts degree with 100k+ in debt you will be broke for a long long time.

 

[Inspector Jihad]

seeing multiple education fields on there makes me ;(

 

[Homerboy]

Keep in mind, some people aren't in it for the $$. They are in it for what they want and like to do. Child.Family studies, education, social work... while these are obviously (and sadly) low paying jobs in today's society, I'm sure many MANY of the people in these fields find it very rewarding and don't mind the lack of income.

Cash is not always king.

 

[krunchykrome]

liberal arts.....

 

[tatteredpotato]

Keep in mind, some people aren't in it for the $$. They are in it for what they want and like to do. Child.Family studies, education, social work... while these are obviously (and sadly) low paying jobs in today's society, I'm sure many MANY of the people in these fields find it very rewarding and don't mind the lack of income.

Cash is not always king.

I'm sure this is true and won't argue with it, but what get's me is people who rack up tons of debt getting these degrees knowing that their future earnings will be bleak. I'm lucky in the sense that what I enjoy doing is something that will get me paid comfortably. I'm going to grad school not for the money but just because it's something I want to know more about and it will help me get the job I want to have one day.

Job Satisfaction > Salary (to an extent of course).

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Graphics design is the only one I can say surprised me on that list.

 

[Homerboy]

Graphics design is the only one I can say surprised me on that list.

market saturation.

 

[tatteredpotato]

Graphics design is the only one I can say surprised me on that list.

I think it's like most things in the art field, you can make money if you're on top, but it's not a big pool and it's difficult to break into it.

 

[nageov3t]

This is why I will not support my children pursuing a liberal arts degree.

it's true, wanting to be a teacher is a terrible thing and should be actively discouraged at every opportunity.

 

[tatteredpotato]

it's true, wanting to be a teacher is a terrible thing and should be actively discouraged at every opportunity.

Teachers don't have it quite as bad off. Awesome benefits and summers off anyone?

 

[krunchykrome]

it's true, wanting to be a teacher is a terrible thing and should be actively discouraged at every opportunity.

Teaching is an exception; but even still, they are under paid, and even teachers are not immune to a recession.

There has to be a strong desire to teach; otherwise, there's not much of an incentive there.

 

[actuarial]

Teaching is an exception; but even still, they are under paid, and even teachers are not immune to a recession.

There has to be a strong desire to teach; otherwise, there's not much of an incentive there.

They are only underpaid because the qualification standards are set so low, and quality expectations are low.

If becoming a teacher required a post-graduate certification program, that had serious standards, the number of teachers would be limited and thus competition, salary, and quality of teachers would increase.

 

[krunchykrome]

They are only underpaid because the qualification standards are set so low, and quality expectations are low.

If becoming a teacher required a post-graduate certification program, that had serious standards, the number of teachers would be limited and thus competition, salary, and quality of teachers would increase.

I agree; qualifications should be higher. Also, there should be stricter evaluations (annual reviews) based on student performance. Better teachers are compensated more, while teachers with failing classrooms are compensated less. There needs to be a financial incentive there; there are so many teachers out there who just care about that paycheck and really don't have much of a concern for the education of their students.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

They are only underpaid because the qualification standards are set so low, and quality expectations are low.

If becoming a teacher required a post-graduate certification program, that had serious standards, the number of teachers would be limited and thus competition, salary, and quality of teachers would increase.

Demand for teachers is too high. There'd be 1000:1 teacher ratios if every teaching job required that.

 

[Homerboy]

Demand for teachers is too high. There'd be 1000:1 teacher ratios if every teaching job required that.

It's high? Last I checked, teachers were being cut all over the place.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

It's high? Last I checked, teachers were being cut all over the place.

With the requirements now it is. Reduce the workforce by the amount that would occur requiring a graduate degree and see how it turns out.