When a student declares their major, reactions from family and friends can range from excitement to skepticism. With some degrees, like engineering or nursing, come with a clear career path. Others are often met with judgemental comments like, “What are you going to do with that?” Many students pursuing degrees in the arts, humanities, or social sciences face pressure to justify their choices. In reality, many people build successful careers outside of their field of study with and without degrees. However, the idea of a “useless” degree is largely a myth. Success depends not just on the degree but how students apply their skills. How do you plan to use your skills?
Although no degree is truly useless, some fields tend to receive more criticism based on job availability and starting salaries. According to recent reports, from Sofi.com and CollegeGrad.com, here are the top ten degrees often labeled as “worst” in terms of earning potential and availability:
Fine Arts – Passion driven but competitive with uncertain job prospects and unpredictable income
Music – Requires exceptional talent, identity, and networking for success
Philosophy – Valuable for critical thinking but limited direct career paths
Religious Studies – Primarily leads to nonprofit or academic roles
Anthropology – Often requires graduate education for higher paying jobs
History – Commonly criticized for few forthright job opportunities
English – Versatile but requires additional skills for lucrative careers and higher earnings
Psychology – High demand but requires direction in order to advance
Theater Arts – Extremely competitive industry with few stable positions and requires a strong identity
Communications – Broad, but requires specialization for higher salaries
Personal Bonus!
Journalism – difficult without networking and risk of NDAs and lawsuits
Despite the negative perceptions, each of these degrees provide valuable skills that can be turned into profitable career paths, but it takes strategy. Rather than seeing these dead ends, consider exploring creative and unconventional ways to make money.
Focus on Transferable Skills
Many of these majors develop abilities that are in demand across multiple industries; that are essential.
English and Communications majors tend to excel in copy writing, content creation, marketing, and public relations.
Philosophy and History majors develop strong critical thinking skills valuable for law, consulting, and research.
Embrace the “Gig” Economy
Freelancing is a powerful way to make money with any degree and gain a network of references. Beware of taxes and licenses! Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr allow graduates to sell their skills.
Artists and Graphic Designers can sell digital art, illustrations, and branding services. Selling simple images for design sites can start bringing in the McDonald’s money.
Musicians can offer lessons, create jingles, or license tracks for media. Perhaps try selling stock noises for Foley!
Writers can become bloggers, ghostwriters, or contingent writers. This is where a portfolio and networking take off.
Start a Business or Side Hustle
Many successful entrepreneurs started with non-traditional degrees. Often a business is started and morphs into several other complementing services. Learn special skills along the way. Examples of these businesses include:
History or Anthropology graduates creating educational YouTubes, TikToks, or podcast channels.
English or Journalism majors launching self-published books or online courses through easily accessible publishers or educational sites.
Theater students offering public speaking, singing, or performance coaching. Perhaps making skits or teaming up with writers to create larger content that marginalize your talents.
Build a Network and Portfolio
A degree alone doesn’t land jobs; connections and proof of skills do.
- Attend your industry or adjacent conferences, join professional associations, and connect on LinkedIn or Folk.
- Create a portfolio showcasing your work, whether it’s writing samples, art, research projects, or personal websites.
Consider Further Specialization
Sometimes an extra certification or skillset can make all the difference. Many jobs require niche knowledge for specific work. When you can wear many hats, you can succeed in many ways.
- Coding is a good asset to keep in your back pocket if you will need to write and share ideas in your work
- Data analytics or human resource training can come in handy for psychology or history majors when writing up trends for research
- Business management is a required skill for running your own business, personal finance, or knowing how your company operates depending upon your role
No degree is truly useless. The key is adaptability, creativity, and willingness to step outside the traditional job market. At the end of the day, success isn’t about the title of your degree when paired with knowhow and creativity.
