The 10 least valuable college degrees—only 1 helps grads earn more than $50,000:

A college degree can provide financial benefits over a high school diploma.

According to the latest National Center for Education Statistics data, in 2022, workers aged 25 to 34 with a bachelor's degree earned a median annual salary of $66,600, while their counterparts with only a high school education earned $41,800 a year.

Not all college graduates experience a salary increase. For instance, individuals with a degree in studio arts earn a median salary of $40,000, as per a recent Bankrate analysis of the Census Bureau's American Community Survey data.

To determine the most and least valuable college degrees, Bankrate analyzed median salaries, unemployment rates, and advanced degree rates among workers and job seekers with at least a bachelor's degree.

According to New York Fed data from June 2024, studio arts degree-holders have low earnings prospects and an unemployment rate of 4.6%, which is nearly double the rate for all college graduates, making it the least valuable college degree.

According to Bankrate, the 10 least valuable college degrees in 2024 are:

1. Studio arts

• Median salary: $40,000
• Unemployment rate: 4.6%
• Percentage of workers with advanced degrees: 28.1%

2. Drama and theater arts

• Median salary: $44,000
• Unemployment rate: 4.9%
• Percentage of workers with advanced degrees: 29.0%

3. Visual and performing arts

• Median salary: $40,000
• Unemployment rate: 3.8%
• Percentage of workers with advanced degrees: 28.7%

4. Film, video and photographic arts

• Median salary: $46,000
• Unemployment rate: 5.5%
• Percentage of workers with advanced degrees: 13.8%

5. Miscellaneous fine arts

• Median salary: $45,000
• Unemployment rate: 4.8%
• Percentage of workers with advanced degrees: 15.0%

6. Clinical psychology

• Median salary: $45,500
• Unemployment rate: 2.9%
• Percentage of workers with advanced degrees: 69.1%

7. Communication technologies

• Median salary: $50,000
• Unemployment rate: 5.3%
• Percentage of workers with advanced degrees: 11.9%

8. Library science

• Median salary: $48,000
• Unemployment rate: 3.2%
• Percentage of workers with advanced degrees: 69.1%

9. Fine arts

• Median salary: $45,000
• Unemployment rate: 3.7%
• Percentage of workers with advanced degrees: 25.0%

Languages other than French, German, Latin, and other widely spoken foreign languages.

• Median salary: $53,000
• Unemployment rate: 4.8%
• Percentage of workers with advanced degrees: 45.2%

According to Bankrate's standards, the most valuable bachelor's degrees have a combination of high salaries, low unemployment rates, and low rates of workers with advanced degrees.

While the arts-related degrees on the least-valuable list have low rates of workers with advanced degrees, they fall short on the other two factors, with median annual salaries below $50,000 and high unemployment rates, compared to other grads.

Two of the 10 least valuable bachelor's degrees result in graduates earning at least $50,000 annually: communications technologies and other foreign languages. Despite this, communications technology majors have a high unemployment rate of nearly 5.3%, indicating that finding higher-paying jobs may be challenging.

Graduates with bachelor's degrees in less common foreign languages have a slightly lower unemployment rate, but nearly half (45%) of these graduates hold advanced degrees. On the other hand, nearly 69% of library science and clinical psychology undergrads hold higher credentials.

An advanced degree and the years of school required to earn it may be necessary to achieve better financial outcomes in those careers, according to the data.

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