The other end of the same federal data. A low figure is not a verdict on the subject — it is the salary reality to plan your borrowing around.
| # | Major | Level | Grade | Median earnings | Typical range | Graduates/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Practical Nursing | Bachelor's | F | $23,262 | $14,935–$14,935 | 51 |
| 2 | Botany & Plant Biology | Bachelor's | F | $23,761 | $21,964–$21,964 | 343 |
| 3 | Drama & Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Bachelor's | F | $23,067 | $20,140–$25,194 | 12,377 |
| 4 | Ecology, Evolution, Systematics | Bachelor's | F | $24,904 | $21,964–$28,598 | 4,476 |
| 5 | Anthropology | Bachelor's | F | $25,967 | $21,964–$28,816 | 8,349 |
| 6 | Religion & Religious Studies | Bachelor's | F | $28,598 | $19,794–$31,127 | 5,540 |
| 7 | Film and Photography | Bachelor's | F | $25,580 | $22,268–$27,482 | 12,629 |
| 8 | Zoology & Animal Biology | Bachelor's | F | $25,194 | $22,329–$28,348 | 2,630 |
| 9 | Intercultural & Multicultural | Bachelor's | C | $33,993 | $24,035–$30,228 | 123 |
| 10 | Fine Arts | Bachelor's | F | $25,967 | $22,192–$28,960 | 23,904 |
| 11 | Music | Bachelor's | F | $25,194 | $21,508–$32,391 | 15,225 |
| 12 | Communication Disorders Sciences | Bachelor's | F | $25,658 | $22,710–$28,598 | 11,297 |
| 13 | Arts, Entertainment | Bachelor's | F | $29,685 | $23,456–$30,475 | 2,861 |
| 14 | Linguistic, Comparative | Bachelor's | F | $26,933 | $23,649–$31,848 | 4,816 |
| 15 | Physiology | Bachelor's | F | $26,121 | $25,194–$31,305 | 7,361 |
| 16 | TESOL | Bachelor's | C | $37,208 | $21,508–$27,439 | 297 |
| 17 | Rhetoric and Composition & Writing Studies | Bachelor's | D | $31,585 | $22,872–$33,993 | 5,997 |
| 18 | Biology | Bachelor's | F | $27,947 | $25,194–$32,382 | 85,344 |
| 19 | English | Bachelor's | F | $29,503 | $24,962–$32,382 | 27,287 |
| 20 | Health & Medical Preparatory Programs | Bachelor's | F | $29,016 | $25,194–$31,853 | 3,406 |
| 21 | Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General | Bachelor's | D | $30,554 | $26,715–$31,529 | 1,979 |
| 22 | Music | Master's | F | $25,194 | $24,228–$33,993 | 6,242 |
| 23 | Psychology | Bachelor's | F | $29,685 | $26,353–$31,616 | 117,175 |
| 24 | Bible & Biblical Studies | Bachelor's | F | $29,685 | $24,421–$31,314 | 1,941 |
| 25 | Broadcasting | Bachelor's | D | $29,995 | $26,353–$33,993 | 10,950 |
| 26 | Animal Sciences | Bachelor's | D | $30,616 | $25,967–$32,925 | 7,296 |
| 27 | Fine Arts | Master's | F | $29,639 | $23,456–$33,565 | 3,045 |
| 28 | Theological and Ministerial Studies | Bachelor's | D | $31,127 | $25,194–$32,563 | 2,102 |
| 29 | Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | Bachelor's | D | $33,043 | $26,353–$33,043 | 1,872 |
| 30 | Graphic Communications | Bachelor's | F | $28,816 | $22,667–$36,368 | 3,401 |
| 31 | History | Bachelor's | D | $30,409 | $25,856–$33,604 | 23,955 |
| 32 | Exercise Science | Bachelor's | D | $30,409 | $26,248–$33,281 | 48,104 |
| 33 | Research and Experimental Psychology | Bachelor's | D | $30,035 | $25,658–$33,119 | 18,392 |
| 34 | Neurobiology and Neurosciences | Bachelor's | F | $29,685 | $25,194–$32,925 | 11,367 |
| 35 | Human Development, Family Studies | Bachelor's | F | $29,685 | $27,552–$32,391 | 10,724 |
| 36 | Nutrition Sciences | Bachelor's | D | $29,882 | $28,753–$33,281 | 3,454 |
| 37 | Rehabilitation | Bachelor's | D | $31,314 | $27,488–$34,704 | 3,840 |
| 38 | Romance Languages | Bachelor's | D | $32,382 | $27,439–$36,488 | 9,490 |
| 39 | Human Biology | Bachelor's | D | $31,189 | $27,669–$32,925 | 1,867 |
| 40 | Clinical, Counseling | Bachelor's | D | $32,925 | $28,417–$36,077 | 4,401 |
Nothing here says these subjects are not worth studying. It says that if you borrow heavily for one of them, the repayment will take a larger share of your pay for longer — so the price of the institution matters more, and scholarships matter more.
Subjects that lead into further study or long qualification routes — psychology, biology, fine art, humanities heading to teaching or law — look weakest at this measuring point and often improve substantially later. The data cannot see that; you can.
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study earnings, measured two years after completion. Majors with too few programmes publishing earnings are left out rather than estimated.