The 20 Most Useless Degrees

The Daily Beast:

1. Journalism

Median starting salary: $35,800

Median mid-career salary: $66,600

Change in number of jobs, 2008-2018: -4,400

Percentage Change in number of jobs, 2008-2018: -6.32

Undergraduate field of study: Communications

Number of students awarded degrees 2008-2009: 78,009

Read the whole story: The Daily Beast

Comments

[Stefanie Mojonnier]

03:43 PM on 06/27/2011

This list assumes that the only purpose of education is to become employed and highly paid. I take umbrage with the word "useless." Maybe the ROI isn't as high as other fields, and there is definitely room for discussion on the role of education and whether a college degree is appropriate for everyone, but the degrees listed here are the kind of fields that should be pushing critical thinking skills - something that is sadly dwindling in all types of American education and has stretched out into other arenas. "Least valued by an infotainment, me-first society" maybe, but not useless.

[keglined]

01:39 PM on 06/27/2011

Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle. Useless unless you've also got A&P certification and want to turn wrenches on broken airplanes. I've applied for 300+ jobs and so far have nothing to show for my Bachelor's from ERAU. Even the "any 4 yr degree will work" jobs have so far gone to others. Pure garbage.

[blust8r]

04:13 PM on 05/11/2011

And why isn't Philosophy... or Theology on this list?

[blust8r]

04:12 PM on 05/11/2011

I can attest that a "degree" in most of the "arts" is fairly useless as a prerequisite for employment. I run an "in-house" agency for a manufacturer and my priority is to see the applicant's portfolio, rather than a diploma or letter of recommendation. They can study all they want, it does not replace talent. However, in the increasingly demanding job market, anything that adds value would be considered.

[Nelle]

03:35 PM on 05/11/2011

I wonder what degree the person who wrote this piece has?

[Hellosameness]

03:42 AM on 05/01/2011

I think I get this list. As a person who has a B.A in theater and has had a great passion for theater I can 100% state that my degree is useless.
My theater degree means 0 in the industry as I have never been able to make any inroads at all. Many people I know who work in theater do not have a degree, or they have a degree in something else, or they didn't get a B.A rather a certificate of some sort.
Also, I feel that having a B.A in theater has hurt my job opportunties and I have never held a job that required a college degree. I have also never held a job that helps me pay off the debt I gained in college.
All that being said while my degree is useless, the education I obtained was not. I would not trade in the things I learned in college and I feel that I am a much better person for it. I would do it again, but I would advise anyone not to take out loans for this major, unless you get into a top tier school, or you are going to a school that only teaches theater, fine arts etc.
Finding ones passion is great, but living ones passion is a lot easier said then done, sadly.

[fem56]

09:29 PM on 04/29/2011

I agree they are useless degrees if you go into them because you imagine there are all these jobs out there for the taking. People get tricked into thinking-go into math, science, technology because there are all those jobs out there. That absolutely wrong and a bad reason to go into those fields. Do what you love-it is amazing what that can lead too. With an English or history degree maybe you end up as a lawyer, a writer a business executive etc. How many people end up doing something exactly related to their major in college? Not that many but they end up with and enthusiasm and knowledge that will help them along the way. A chemistry major might end up developing a cutting edge drug after graduate school. I could go on with any of these majors. Passion, persistence, drive, creativity only occur really when you are doing something you love.

[americanalien]

09:59 AM on 06/20/2011

So true. Thanks for your words of inspiration.

[dennissinned]

03:02 PM on 04/29/2011

Why would anyone major in photography in college? An $83k mid-career median salary in any profession is not bad at all; so why is Chemistry in this list? There are certainly more options for a chemist than for a biologist or even a physicist.

[imtheyeti]

12:56 PM on 04/29/2011

Although not a degree, I think missing from that list was "Top 20 Most Useless..." Blogger...

[cosmiCataclysm]

01:01 AM on 04/30/2011

That's what journalists do now.

[saaba]

11:53 AM on 04/29/2011

Why is there is so little regard for careers that don't make huge bucks, but add depth to our culture.... think of how meaningless life would be without beautiful music, theater, art and literature. I know of one useless profession that should be on this list... stockbroker.

I really wish Huff post hire a Education editor with a more critical eye for their EDU pages... This was complete rubbish!

[REDSTATEREFUGEE]

12:05 PM on 04/30/2011

X 18 , Saaba.....Nothing to add to your insightful post, except that I agree with your opinions.

[mburgh]

06:52 AM on 04/29/2011

Useless in what regard? The sole criteria seems to be money.

[SangZe]

02:24 PM on 04/29/2011

It's the USA, dummy. Of course, it's about money. Nothing else counts.

[mburgh]

12:45 AM on 04/30/2011

Perhaps for some people. But considering that in a hundred years nothing we do will really matter, I prefer other things.

[Jean Larkai]

04:44 AM on 04/29/2011

By far the stupidest thing I'll read all day.

[eclipse535]

12:37 AM on 04/29/2011

At the University of Illinois a person could get a degree in Leisure Studies.I've been majoring in that my entire life.

[cosmiCataclysm]

11:57 PM on 04/28/2011

This is the #1 Most Usless List.

[fem56]

09:30 PM on 04/29/2011

I agree!

[MW NY]

11:53 PM on 04/28/2011

... and here I thought Fahrenheit was the most useless degree .

[imtheyeti]

12:50 PM on 04/29/2011

...mmm, I would say Kelvin instead

[MW NY]

07:21 PM on 04/29/2011

Touche :)