Top 10 Most Useless Degrees to Avoid in 2025!

Are you confused about what you want to do in life? Don’t worry, most people are. To meet deadlines and not lose time, people often choose degrees they do not want to pursue. Hence, there has been a spike in terms of regret and dissatisfaction in career choices. To help you not make a decision you might later regret, this article has a list of the 10 most useless degrees you might want to avoid, along with the 10 most employable degrees that will land you jobs.

Top 10 Useless Degrees!

Now that you know which are the least valuable degrees, you can surely make a value decision in choosing a career that would not make you regret your decision. However, just because these are the most useless degrees, does not mean that there is anything wrong in wanting to gain more knowledge in these fields. So without any further ado, here is a list of the 10 most useless degrees in the world that you should avoid in 2025.

1. Dance 

Average Salary - $25,453

Average Cost of Pursuing the Degree - $40,000 to $200,000

Payback: 151.28 years

A dance major is often seen as one of the most useless degrees since many dancers find success through training, auditions, and networking rather than formal education. After graduation, you could face substantial debt and uncertain job prospects, potentially earning less than what you invested in tuition. The dance industry is also highly competitive, with numerous candidates competing for a limited number of opportunities. Employment in this sector is projected to grow by approximately 13%, adding about 300,000 new jobs by 2031.

What can you do instead: You can focus on getting a major that can lead you to decent employment with a salary that can help you open your dance studio. You can also learn dance on the side while pursuing your education and make connections that can help you later on. However, if you already have a degree in dance, you can apply for a job as a dance instructor or choreographer.

2. Drama

Average Salary: $27,468

Average Cost of Pursuing the Degree - $40,000 to $200,000

Payback: 41.40 years

Drama is often considered one of the most useless degrees because many drama schools fail to teach the essential techniques and skills needed for the film and TV industry. A theatre degree may have little influence on your career prospects, often leading to low-paying jobs. It is important to pursue a degree in theatre from a good acting school since the job sector is going through an expansion of 13%, and there are supposed to be 300,000 new jobs by 2031.

What can you do instead: Try doing a double major or a dual degree, so that you have a backup plan in place and do not regret your decision. If you have already completed a degree in drama, you can either take up the position of an actor or a theater director.

3. Music

Average Salary: $29,592

Average Cost of Pursuing the Degree - $40,000 to $200,000

Payback: 22.15 years

A music degree is often seen as one of the least practical, as securing a job after graduation can be challenging. The job market is limited, and many entry-level music positions offer low pay. While music-related jobs can provide extra income, they often aren't enough to cover living expenses. However, musicians and singers are expected to see a 6% growth in employment which is going to lead to 10,000 new jobs by 2031.

What can you do instead: Take a major that offers a better job prospect, and pursue music on the side. You can also do a double major or certificate course to increase your job prospects. Music teaching is the most prominent option if you have already pursued a degree in music. Another option might be as a composer or a session musician.

4. Studio and Fine Arts

Average Salary: $30,119

Average Cost of Pursuing the Degree - $40,000 to $180,000

Payback: 17.96 years

The job market for fine art and studio artists is highly competitive, making it difficult to secure stable employment. Many graduates struggle to find steady work, often relying on low-paying jobs or unpredictable freelance opportunities. Due to these limited career prospects, fine arts degrees are often regarded as some of the least valuable college degrees. However, we have made an exclusive list of some of the best art colleges in Paris to improve your job prospects!

What can you do instead:  Try to gain internships under experienced artists, form connections, and pursue a degree that you can get employed by. The best way to improve your employability rate is to either work as a freelance artist or an art gallery assistant.

5. Anthropology

Average Salary: $30,581

Average Cost of Pursuing the Degree - 40,000 to $180,000

Payback: 15.48 years

A bachelor's degree in anthropology offers fascinating insights into cultures, but finding specialized jobs can be challenging without further education. Many well-paying positions require a master’s or Ph.D, meaning students must invest more time and money to make an anthropology degree worthwhile. Employment of anthropologists is projected to grow 7%, adding about 600 new jobs by 2031.

What can you do instead: You can try majoring in related fields like sociology, international studies, and liberal arts. If you already have a degree in anthropology you can either work as a culture resource manager or a market research analyst.

6. Photography

Average Salary: $30,810

Average Cost of Pursuing the Degree - $30,000 to $150,000

Payback: 21.04 years

Photography is one of the most useless majors that is often considered impractical. Breaking into photojournalism or becoming a renowned fashion photographer is challenging, with nearly 60% of photographers leaving the industry within their first year. With affordable digital cameras making photography accessible to anyone, is a photography degree worth years of study? However, the employment of photographers is expected to grow by 9%, resulting in approximately 12,700 new jobs over the decade

What can you do instead: Focus on developing your skills and get an internship to build a strong portfolio. Promote yourself on social media. However, if you already have a degree in photography you can either opt to be a freelance photographer or a photo editor.

7. Philosophy

Average Salary: $32,116

Average Cost of Pursuing the Degree - $30,000 to $120,000

Payback: 14.04 years

In today's world, science has largely surpassed philosophy in practical application, making philosophy one of the most useless degrees. While philosophy explores abstract concepts, the job market is dominated by science-related fields that emphasize practical skills and real-world applications. Employment for postsecondary philosophy and religion teachers is projected to grow by 12%, adding about 7,300 new positions by 2031.

What can you do instead: Take philosophy as a minor, and get through your teaching exams. Try and do this while getting a major in some employable degree. You can also pursue a Ph.D on the side while working. If you already have a degree in philosophy then you can apply for a teaching position or as an ethics consultant.

8. Travel and Tourism

Average Salary: $35,238

Average Cost of Pursuing the Degree - $40,000 to $160,000

Payback: 3-10 years

While travel and tourism students learn how to enhance the tourist experience, many struggle with career direction after graduation. Job opportunities can be limited, and many students who dream of becoming Instagram travelers or professional vloggers often end up in routine office jobs. These roles, like many from most useless degrees, tend to offer low pay, unpredictable hours, and poor working conditions. Employment in the leisure and hospitality sector is projected to grow by 13%, adding approximately 1.9 million new jobs by 2031.

What can you do instead: You can try doing a business administration degree or a dual degree, and manage the business for 2-3 travel agencies while doing on-site traveling. If you already have a degree, you can opt for a position as a travel agent or a tour guide.

9. Cultural Studies

Average Salary: $39,878

Average Cost of Pursuing the Degree - $30,000 to $120,000

Payback: 36.5 years

Cultural studies, often lack the specialized skills required for many jobs, making graduates less competitive in the job market. Additionally, careers in this field tend to offer lower pay compared to those in business posing a challenge for recent graduates. Employment for sociologists is projected to grow only by 5%, adding about 200 new jobs over the decade.

What can you do instead: You can check out relevant fields like sociology, or marketing while pursuing cultural studies so that you can gain a strong foundation of the subject. However, if you have a degree already, you can become 

10. History

Average Salary: $43,659

Average Cost of Pursuing the Degree - $40,000 to $180,000

Payback: 13.1 years

History degrees are often seen as impractical due to limited career opportunities, mostly as professional historians or teachers, with many positions also open to other liberal arts graduates. Aspiring historians typically need a master’s degree, and while the average annual wage is $63,940, job growth is minimal, with only 100 new positions expected by 2031 in a field that currently employs around 3,300 people.

What can you do instead: You can take political science as your major and keep history as your minor so that you can gain knowledge in the field you want while keeping your job prospects high.

Most Employable Degrees

With the entire globe revolving around money and employability, some degrees are considered to be safe. These safe degrees are usually pursued by people who either have a passion for the said degree or do not have any particular passion that they want to follow. They often go for some of the most common degrees that have decent employability. If you have not decided on a degree and are looking for a safe choice, here is a list of the 10 most employable degrees with their employment percentages.

1. Veterinary Sciences - With the highest employability percentage of 85.6%, this field ensures a stable and rewarding career in caring for animals.

2. Medicine - A prestigious and in-demand profession, medicine offers excellent job security and career growth with an employability percentage of 82.3%.

3. Teaching - With nearly 80% employment, teaching remains a stable career, driven by the continuous need for educators worldwide.

4. Subjects allied to medicine - Fields like physiotherapy, radiography, and medical technology offer a high employability percentage of 79.3% due to advancements in healthcare services.

5. Engineering - Engineers maintain strong job prospects across industries with an employability percentage of 79.1%, with rapid growth in technology, infrastructure, and sustainability sectors.

6. Dentistry - A highly specialized field, dentistry ensures a steady employment percentage of 76.1%, supported by consistent demand for oral healthcare professionals.

7. Business - Business graduates enjoy diverse job opportunities with an employability percentage of 75.3%, and with high demand in finance, management, and entrepreneurship

8. Architecture - Urban expansion and infrastructure development drive strong job prospects with an employability rate of 74.9% for architecture graduates.

9. Nursing - With healthcare shortages worldwide, nurses remain in high demand with an employment percentage of 74.9%, ensuring stable employment and career progression.

10. Law - The legal profession continues to offer strong career opportunities with an employability percentage of 72.8%, with demand in corporate law, litigation, and compliance sectors.

Least Employable Degrees

Do not mistake the least employable degrees to be the most useless degrees too. Unless you equate employability with usefulness, there is a difference between degrees that help you in life and getting a job. Some degrees might score very low on employability however will teach you a lot of life skills and lessons. That being said let’s take a look at the 10 most ridiculous degrees according to employers, and the reasons behind it!

1. Communication - Earning a communication degree can make job hunting challenging, as it lacks specialization and is too broad.

2. Fashion Design - Fashion degrees are often deemed useless since most fashion enthusiasts choose fashion schools for employment options. Here are some of the best fashion schools in the U.S. to give you options to choose from!

3. Advertising - The advertising field is developing at a rapid pace. With the number of advertising tools and marketing schemes coming up, doing a degree in advertising might not give you relevant knowledge.

4. Education - Education degrees can be general and specialized. Unless you are set on the degree you want to do, and the subject you want to teach for the rest of your life, the degree can be quite unemployable.

5. Criminal Justice - Converting this degree into a job is difficult. People often prefer either directly becoming a police officer or a lawyer.

6. Music - A music degree is all about the theory of music with little to no practical experience, and this limits your chances of getting into the music industry. Unless you have connections in the industry, the chances of you breaking into the music industry remain slim.

7. Ethnic Studies - It is a diverse field, however, just getting a degree in the subject is not enough since you often will need additional training and education to get employed. So unless you are passionate about the subject and are willing to put in capital, it is better to not opt for the degree.

8. Theatre Studies - Theatre studies is a creative field. However, the knowledge learned in this degree is very specific and hence might not be useful when it comes to breaking into the entire film industry.

9. Anthropology - A degree in anthropology is one of the most worthless degrees since getting a job is almost impossible without getting a Ph.D. So unless you are prepared to invest more years into education and getting a Ph.D, we would advise you not to go for the degree.

10. Philosophy - Apart from becoming a philosophy professor, the degree has a very narrow scope in terms of employment. Even for the professorship, you often need a Ph.D, and experience which is very difficult to get. 

Most Valuable Degrees

The most valuable degrees are the degrees that give the most return on their investment right from the starting phases of the career. Just because these are the most valuable degrees, does not mean that they require the highest capital investment. Here are 10 online degrees that pay well! Some courses might be a bit on the steep side for the financial aspect, however, if you are passionate about these degrees you will soon find yourself making a lot more with these 10 most valuable degrees.

Least Valuable Degrees

The least valuable degrees are the majors that earn the least over the early phases of the career. The low value that is obtained from these degrees often makes people regret their decisions later on. Hence we have made choosing a suitable career option easier for you! Here are the 10 least valuable degrees.

These were the most useless degrees that people often regret doing or feel that they could have gone without pursuing. Having gone through this list of worthless degrees, we hope you make a smart decision about your future. Choose only the degree that you will enjoy doing and that you see some scope in the future. Similarly, amber helps students pursue their dreams by providing them with safe and comfortable student housing near the university they desire. What are you waiting for? Download the amber app today, and open the gateway to your dreams!