Today, somewhere around 4 in 10 recent college graduates find themselves employed in roles that don’t need their degree. They just can’t find jobs relevant to what they studied, so they have to settle for something lesser. This is the definition of underemployment, and it’s a growing problem in our economy.

It’s even worse when you consider that on average, college costs something like $35k annually—and most people who finish do so in 5 or 6 years, not 4. Only 62% of those who attempt a degree finish within 6 years.

The high underemployment rate means that even if you do manage to complete your program, there’s a decent chance you won’t even need or use that knowledge in the job you eventually take. (Which probably won’t pay as well as you hoped when you took out those student loans.)

Depressed yet?

Thanks to statistics like these, America’s attitude toward higher education is undergoing a major shift. According to Strada Education Network, fewer than 1 in 3 adults now believe that a college degree is worth the cost. Two-thirds of Gen Z don’t think they need a college degree to be successful—and you know what? They might just be right.

Expanding postsecondary options

Most people will still agree that high school graduates need some kind of additional training to fit them for a rewarding career, but the avenues to achieve that postsecondary education are expanding beyond the traditional college pathway.

This doesn’t mean college is obsolete, but it does mean it’s no longer the best or only choice for every student. Families should consider all the options with an open mind. The shift to skills-based hiring, while nowhere near complete, is going to change the calculus of how we prepare the next generation for the workforce.

Additionally, we need to let go of the stigmas still attached to alternative postsecondary pathways. We’ll reach that goal when it’s culturally natural to celebrate the kid going off to trade school, the military or specialized industry training with the same excitement as the kid headed off to college.

The college degrees that don’t hire well

For those seeking a strategic way to go to college and make sure it pays off, a clear-eyed look at the majors with high and low underemployment may help guide that choice.

According to the data from higher education research group Degreechoices, these are the ten degrees with the highest rates of underemployment:

1. Criminal justice: 71.5%
2. Performing arts: 65.9%
3. Art history: 62.3%
4. Leisure and hospitality: 57.6%
5. Liberal arts: 56.7%
6. Animal and plant sciences: 56.3%
7. Fine arts: 55.5%
8. Miscellaneous technologies: 54.8%
9. Business management: 53.6%
10. History: 53.5%

The college degrees with the lowest underemployment

In contrast, these fields have the lowest levels of underemployment:

1. Nursing: 11.1%
2. Special Education: 12.1%
3. Computer Engineering: 13.3%
4. Elementary Education: 13.5% 1.5%
5. Civil Engineering: 15.9%
6. Computer Science: 16.7%
7. Chemical Engineering: 17.8%
8. Aerospace Engineering: 17.9%
9. Early Childhood Education: 18.2%
10. General Education: 19.6%
11. Mechanical Engineering: 20.3%
12. Miscellaneous Education: 20.6%
13. Electrical Engineering: 20.9%
14. Accounting: 21.0%
15. Secondary Education: 22.0%
16. Pharmacy: 23.5%
17. Industrial Engineering: 24.6%
18. Architecture: 25.1%
19. Miscellaneous Engineering: 26.2%
20. Mathematics: 27.6%

Is college the right choice?

When I address audiences across North America, there’s almost always a concerned parent who asks if college is still a good choice for their child. Honestly, the answer is a big maybe.

I’m a fan of going to college—if, and only if, it aligns with your career plan. College is not the best time or place to figure out your career direction. It’s the most expensive time of life and unfortunately, too many programs aren’t yet aligned with real-world workforce needs. The pressure to ‘just pick something’ can be all too real, leading some students toward fields that may not be the right fit.

But if you’ve done the career exploration and have a clear picture of 1.) the lifestyle you want to live and 2.) the career that best intersects with that lifestyle and your talents, interests and abilities, and if college is a necessary step to reach that destination, then go!

In a fast-changing job market, college can still be the right choice when approached strategically. Go with purpose, go with passion, and get it done as efficiently as you can.Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or some of my other work.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/markcperna/2025/01/14/best-college-degrees-to-avoid-underemployment