5 Popular College Degrees that are Not Worth Pursuing in 2025 & Beyond (Here’s What You Should do Instead!)

We all have heard this every single day while growing up: “Go to college, Get a degree, and You’ll be Successful.”

In our parents mind, there’s no other way to success than getting a college degree. That is somehow true, but not always!

What if I tell you that there are some college degrees that are no more worth pursuing in 2025 and beyond. These degrees don’t guarantee you a proper job and put you into debt for years. So, avoiding them would be the best way to stay out of this trouble.

In this post, we’re going to talk about 5 degrees that can turn into financial nightmares and I’ll also share some great alternatives to them. So, if you’re thinking about going to college (or you’re in college already), go through this post till the end, because this could save you thousands of dollars and years of stress.

The Truth About Student Debt

Before going through the 5 degrees, let’s start with a quick reality check.

The average student loan debt in the U.S. is over $37,000. That’s already a huge number, but for some degrees, it can climb to over $100,000. And worst part about all this is, many of the jobs linked to these degrees don’t even pay enough to help you get out of that debt before you’re 40 or 45.

So, finding and avoiding such degrees can be a big relief to your mental and financial health.

So, let’s see all the 5 degrees one-by-one that might not be worth it.

Remember this, if you’re actually passionate about these topics and you think that you can make a good career out of it, then all I can say is go for it. But, if you don’t have a proper vision, then these degrees are a big No-No!

1. Fine Arts & Performing Arts

If you love painting, acting, or music, then that’s amazing. But here’s the harsh truth: A Fine Arts degree costs you around $30,000/Year on average. But, after you graduate, you might struggle to find a job that pays around $45,000.

Imagine spending $120,000 on a degree and ending up in a job that barely pays your bills. Then, what’s the point of having that degree?

Until and unless you become a superstar like Beyoncé or Weeknd, the math on your degree and pay won’t make any sense.

What to do instead?

If you’re truly passionate about arts, that’s not a bad thing! But, you don’t necessarily have to go into debt just to get a degree in it.

Instead, you can learn the skills online, find out and enroll in affordable courses, build your portfolio and start working.

Nowadays, even tech companies don’t give much importance to degree holders. All they want is, someone who knows what to do and someone who is passionate enough. So, having or not having a degree won’t matter much.

You can even start your own YouTube channel or other social media accounts to showcase your skills. They’re completely free and you can reaches not millions, but billions of people through these platforms.

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2. Journalism & Communications

Yes, I do believe journalism is important. But it’s job market is shrinking day-by-day.

Even big news networks like CNN and Fox are getting fewer views, many local newspapers are already gone. And the media world is changing drastically.

Because of transparency and simplicity, more and more people are watching small creators, podcasts, and YouTube channels instead of traditional news medias.

That means jobs are harder to find. Not just it’s harder to find a job, massive layoffs are happening every single day in the journalism industry. And even if you land a job, the pay won’t be great.

What to do instead?

Journalism is a skill that has become so much easier to monetize.

Instead of spending hundred thousand dollars on getting a degree, you can start your own social media channels and start sharing different stories.

You don’t need to be perfect to start. All you need to do is, start. With time, your skills will improve and you’ll have gained a large audience.

This way, you can get into journalism without going into debt to get a degree.

3. Psychology (Without Grad School)

Psychology is a super interesting field, but here’s the thing. A bachelor’s degree in psychology won’t take you very far enough on it’s own.

If you want to make real money in this field, you’ll need to go to grad school, which means, you need to spend $50,000 to $100,000 more.

To be honest, if you don’t have a solid plan for the future, even grad school might not be the right thing for you. So, make your decision wisely.

What to do instead?

If you have a proper plan, then you can go to grad school and pursue the degree. But if you’re just picking psychology because it “sounds cool,” think again.

It may be fun for now, but the fun won’t last longer. There are various other paths, where you can help people and make a good income.

You can work, either in the healthcare or counseling industry instead of psychology.

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4. Education (Teaching) 

Teachers are the backbone of a nation as they carry the responsibility of creating the youth for tomorrow that will lead the nation forward. But here’s a thing we need to accept it. They are really-really underpaid.

They make a big difference in people’s lives, yet see no difference in their own lives.

Most teachers make just around $38,000/Year, which is not enough because with that money they have to manage their expenses and get the school supplies as well. And most teachers also have a student loan to pay and that adds more burden to their back.

On top of that, they have to work long hours, face burnout, and often have to deal with tough classroom environments. So, being a teacher is not everyone’s plate of food.

What to do instead?

If you love teaching, then you can explore such options that don’t put you into debt. To find such a field or topic, you need to do your research properly. Here are some ideas you can try out:

• Teaching fellowships
• State-sponsored programs
• Home Tuitions

You can also look for alternative certifications to teaching that costs less and don’t leave you with debt.

5. Liberal Arts or General Studies 

This one might be the biggest financial trap of them all.

Getting a degree in liberal arts or general studies without a plan or can leave you lost, broke, and on a path wondering what to do next.

These degrees often don’t lead to any clear job, so it’s likely that you won’t find a job. By pursuing these degrees, you might end up in a field that doesn’t even require a college education and a field that pays really less. So, think as much as you can before pursuing these degrees.

What to do instead?

If you love humanities, that’s great. But to make good money with it, you need to combine it with something that is more in-demand. Like:

• Marketing
• Analytics
• Tech or coding
• STEM fields, etc.

If you want to pursue a degree in Liberal Arts or General Studies, then you also need to start learning other skills along with these courses. If you don’t, your future might not be as good as you expect it to be.

Wrapping it Up

So, these were five degrees that I think won’t take you much farther in the coming time. So, decide twice before pursuing these degrees.

And let me know, which degree do you think is the worst in terms of future safety and financial stability? I’d love to hear your responses in the comments.

That’s it for today. See you in the next post!