College Majors You May Want to Reconsider

Choosing a college major is one of the biggest academic decisions you will make—but not all majors lead to strong job prospects or financial stability. While every field has value, some majors come with lower employment rates, lower starting salaries, or require graduate school to be useful. In addition, the current job market has been even more challenging, and recent graduates are facing higher unemployment rates. 

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, here are the top five majors with the highest unemployment rate based on the latest data from 2023.

• Anthropology 9.4%
• Physics 7.8%
• Computer Engineering 7.5%
• Commercial Art & Graphic Design 7.2%
• Fine Arts 7%

Looking at the flip side, college majors with the lowest unemployment rates include:

• Nutrition Science 0.4%
• Construction Services 0.7%
• Animal and Plant Sciences 1.0%
• Civil Engineering 1.0%
• Special Education 1.0%

What About AI?

With artificial intelligence evolving rapidly, some fields that once seemed safe are now changing fast. AI tools can automate routine tasks in writing, design, data entry, and basic programming — which affects job prospects for recent graduates in related majors.

Majors to think through carefully because of AI impact:

• Basic data entry or admin-oriented business majors: Many startup admin tasks are now automated.
  
• Intro writing-only tracks without multimedia skills: AI can generate text quickly; writers who don’t build editing or multimedia strengths may struggle.
  
• Traditional journalism without digital skills: AI can produce basic articles; human journalists succeed when they bring investigative, niche, or multimedia expertise.

However, more colleges are embracing AI in their curriculum through understanding the technology, learning strategies, and how to problem-solve with AI assistance. Building AI literacy will help you in the future and complex analysis, problem-solving and human insight will continue to be in demand by employers. Take the opportunity in college to learn how to complement the work you want to do with AI tools.

When thinking about a college major it’s important to consider:

Job demand and growth. Do some research on LinkedIn and see what types of jobs come up and if there is are companies hiring

Need for additional education like a master’s program. Some majors require a master’s degree, so that is an additional cost. You may want to look at a 3+1 or 4+1 program that many colleges offer that allow you to get the master’s degree with the bachelor’s program at the same school.

Return on investment. Salary compared to debt.  Look at the potential salaries for the jobs you’re interested in and compare that to the cost of college and any debt you may incur. You don’t want to take out an enormous amount of loans for a job or career with low salary expectations as it will take years to pay off your debt and could leave you struggling.

Internship opportunities and real world experiences. To get a job right out of college, you need experience and that comes through internships and jobs during your college years. It’s important to seek these out and make sure you find a college offers these opportunities.

Transferrable skills. Good communication, critical thinking, leadership, work ethic, time management skills and collaboration are good skills for any job, so make sure you develop those qualities and skills during school.

Final Takeaway

There is no universally “bad” major — but choosing a major without understanding its career outcomes or the impact of technology can be a costly mistake. Research your job paths early, build relevant experience, and think about how AI and automation might affect your field.