7 College Degrees That Leave Students in Lifetime Debt

You know what's crazier than paying $7 for a cup of coffee? Paying over $100,000 for a piece of paper that might never pay you back. And that's the average cost for many of these degrees that I'm about to show you. And trust me, it gets a lot worse. But before we jump into these majors, let me tell you something insane. The average student loan debt right now is around $40,000. That's literally more than what some people make in an entire year. And the crazy part is more than half of graduates say their degree wasn't worth the debt. That's basically half of all college graduates saying they got scammed. But there are ways to make your student loans suck a lot less, which I'll talk about in a little bit. For instance, Erica, somebody that I've worked with before, has had over $200,000 in student loans and she was able to pay them off in a short amount of time. So stay tuned in the video because I'm going to give you some tips on how you can pay them off if you're in this situation already or if you think you might be in this situation. And as a side note, if you are in a situation like that, I do actually have kind of like a calculator slash student loan quiz, which I'll put down in the description and the pin comment below that will tell you how much you can refinance and it'll give you other important information about your student loans. And it'll give you things like your rates for refinancing because obviously the rates for student loans are way too high and there's zero impact on your credit score and there's no fees. So it's a really good tool to check out. So I put it down in the description and the pin comment below. It takes like two minutes and it costs nothing and it could literally save you thousands. So check it out. But anyways, let's talk about college majors that actually make enough money to pay off your loans without living on ramen noodles for the next 20 years. First of all is behavioral science. Now, I am not like a psychology or behavioral science hater. My sister actually graduated with a double major in psychology and behavioral science. And I love my sister and I think psychology and behavioral science is awesome. Studying human behavior is fascinating, but ironically a behavioral science degree doesn't seem to predict the financial struggles that come with it. And the degree tops our list with a staggering median student loan debt of $42,800. Now, by the way, these numbers that I'm coming up with for the median student loans are actually on the low side. So these are very conservative estimates. It's much more realistic that the average student loan debt, especially after you factor in things like opportunity cost, interest, default rates, et cetera, is much, much higher, well over $100,000. And in fact, some people estimate that college degrees cost over $500,000 when you factor in all of those things. So I'm being very conservative with these estimates. And while behavioral sciences do promise insights into psychology, sociology, and anthropology, the harsh reality is that most entry-level jobs in this field don't pay enough to make that debt manageable. And many roles in this field, like social work or counseling, require advanced degrees just to qualify for well-paying positions. And that means piling on even more debt after your bachelor's degree. Now, there's some data from the Education Data Initiative that highlights this further. Behavioral science graduates often have one of the highest debt-to-income ratios. And a high debt-to-income ratio is bad, okay? You don't want a high debt-to-income ratio. And entry-level salaries for roles like case managers or behavioral health technicians are often below the median debt that you're taking on to get the degree in the first place. And while the subject matter is undeniably interesting, the financial burden can make pursuing this field feel more like a passion project than a viable career path. So without a clear path for further education or specialization, you might end up in a role unrelated to your degree while your student loans keep adding up. Okay, that first one probably made a lot of people mad. I'm sure there are some triggered comments down below already. The second one is gonna really make some people mad, and that is religious education or any degree that's related to that. Can I get an amen for making questionable financial decisions? Religious education comes in at number two with $32,000 in median debt. Now, don't get me wrong. Spirituality and faith are incredibly important to many people, including myself. But paying 32,000 to study religion professionally, that's like paying for a first-class ticket to financial purgatory. There is a reason that all of these sketchy TV, mega-pastor church preachers all have their own schools to teach people how to get these types of degrees. It's because it makes a lot of money, and those guys like money a whole lot. Now, let's look at what the Education Data Initiative tells us. The median student debt for religious education is $32,000, and the career options, well, you're typically looking at becoming a youth minister, which you don't need a degree for, a religious education teacher, which you typically don't need a degree for, a church administrator, which you don't need a degree for, or a faith-based nonprofit worker, which you, you guessed it, don't need a degree for. Now, here's the real divine intervention that you need to know. Many religious organizations actually prefer candidates with practical experience and genuine faith over someone with an expensive degree. Think about it. You're paying private university prices to qualify for nonprofit salaries, and while the work can be fulfilling, the financial return often doesn't justify the investment. If you're passionate about the field, there are usually much more cost-effective ways to pursue it, like gaining experience through volunteering or certifications, without taking on crushing student loan debt. Now, by the way, as you're going through this list, go ahead and comment down below which of these degrees, or maybe a degree that didn't even make it on the video, you think is the most useless. Next is going to be culinary arts. Now, have you ever heard of someone going $28,600 in debt to learn how to burn their money? Well, welcome to culinary school. Look, I love cooking as much as the next person, but this degree is like paying for an overpriced appetizer that leaves you hungry, and according to the Education Data Initiative, the median student debt for culinary arts is 28,600. I even recently took a cooking class in Thailand. Now, I found this eye-opening post on Reddit from a restaurant veteran. They wrote something that really stuck with me. You barely need to know how to turn a stove on to run a business, as long as you're smart enough to hire the right people. And here's the thing, most successful restaurant owners don't even have culinary degrees. In fact, most people who work in restaurants, even the high-level ones, also don't have culinary degrees. So let me break down why this degree is such a raw deal. First, restaurants have one of the highest failure rates of any business. Second, home cooking experience is basically worthless in a professional kitchen. Everything is different, from equipment to processes. Third, and this is most crucial, most successful chefs start as dishwashers or line cooks and work their way up without a degree. And the brutal truth, if you want to own a restaurant someday, you're better off getting real experience in the industry and maybe a business degree, but even that's questionable, than dropping $28,600 on culinary school. And most culinary graduates end up making less than their total student debt in their first year. That's like buying a Ferrari to deliver newspapers. And yeah, I get it. This is a profession, right? It's almost like a trait. You know, I went to school, I got a doctorate, I became a pharmacist, and that was also kind of a profession or a trait. But that degree, compared to the ones I'm talking about today, was definitely worth it. It got me a six-figure job, but it did end up getting me six figures in student loan debt, which is why I highly recommend looking into refinancing your loans if you ever get into a situation like that. Which again, there's that calculator that you can check out down in the description and the pinned comment below that will tell you exactly what your rates are and will give you options for how you can do it. Next, number four is human services. Think you can save the world with a degree that might sink you financially? Well, let's talk about human services. And this degree comes with a median debt of over $40,000. Now on paper, it sounds noble, but the financial reality is anything but humanitarian. And the Education Data Initiative shows that human service graduates have one of the highest debt-to-income ratios among all social science degrees. And the social science degrees tend to have really high debt-to-income ratios. Now, here's what makes this one particularly challenging. Most positions in this field require additional certifications or advanced degrees beyond your bachelor's. So not only are you getting your bachelor's degree, which is already gonna put you probably in $40,000 in student loan debt plus, but you're probably gonna double that by having to get your master's or even more for your doctorate. And that's just to get your foot in the door. And also, many entry-level positions require two to three years of experience, plus multiple certifications and additional training, making it difficult to even start a career in the field. Now, what's especially ironic? Many human service graduates end up needing the same financial assistance they're trained to help others access. Ouch. And here's something most universities won't tell you. Many of the skills needed in this field can be learned through volunteer work and certifications without the massive debt burden. Boy, these videos are always really difficult to make, and that's why I don't do them that often. This is painful. Anyways, number five. This one is gonna be a tough one, but it's education. Now, I will say that out of all of them on the list, I think that this one is probably the best one. And I think a lot of people go into it for the right reasons, but I think many others also go into it for the wrong reasons, or at least they don't know what they're getting themselves into. So this one has massive amounts of debt as well, and you're legally required to have this degree for most teaching positions, which is a good thing, right? That means that there is a barrier to entry. That means you actually have to get the degree. But the compensation often doesn't match the investment. Now, as a side note, I have made videos in the past on how you can get an education degree in as little as six months at universities such as Thomas Edison State University or WGU. And if you are set on getting an education degree, that would be a recommendation for many of you to check out. But the truth is, it's not always going to be sunshine, rainbows, and butterflies. Many states require additional certifications, unpaid student teaching, and many teachers end up buying their own classroom supplies out of their own pocket. And that's after not making that much money in the first place. Now, that's a lot of extra costs piling up on top of your student loans. And what stings even more is unlike other professions where you can job hop for better pay, teachers are usually locked into strict district salary schedules. So you basically don't get paid more to do a good job. It's not a meritocracy, and you basically get paid whether you're the worst teacher at the school or the best. And this is very different to countries like South Korea where rockstar teachers can sometimes make millions of dollars. And teachers are respected as much as doctors, lawyers, and engineers. Now, in contrast to that in the United States, despite the essential nature of the profession, many teachers take on second jobs just to make their loan payments. And the Education Data Initiative shows that education majors have one of the lowest debt to income ratios among professional degrees requiring certification. And the reality is while teaching is a noble profession, the financial strain often overshadows the rewards. Not to mention that it can be pretty stressful as well. With that being said, I do think this is good for the right type of person. Just know what you're getting into. Next is going to be clinical counseling and applied psychology. And this one is somewhat similar to behavioral science. And you know how they say follow your passion. Well, what they don't tell you is that sometimes your passion follows you straight into debt. And that's exactly what happens with psychology degrees. Because psychology degrees are probably the most popular degree to get. In some years, they're literally the number one degree. More people sign up for psychology degrees than any other degree out there. But there's not that many jobs, especially at the bachelor's level. So with a psychology degree, unfortunately, you're going to have to get a master's at least, or in many cases, a doctorate just to be able to land a job. And that's just to get your foot in the door. And paying off your debt is kind of like signing up for a marathon while carrying a bunch of rocks or student loan debt in your backpack. And there's so many sad stories that you see online about this. For instance, a clinical psychology graduate dreamed of becoming a licensed therapist, but realized too late her bachelor's degree wasn't enough. And despite graduating with honors, she found herself working retail to pay the bills. And she wrote that, I spent years studying to help others, and now I feel like I need therapy just to deal with my own finances. That's really sad. And this is not an isolated case. Thousands of graduates face similar challenges. And what's worse is many employers in this field require unpaid internships to gain experience. That means you're paying off loans while working for free, just to qualify for a job. And unless you're prepared to commit to a decade of schooling, this degree might leave you analyzing your own life choices instead of someone else's. Now, by the way, if you're new here and you want more videos like this to help you navigate college and career choices, don't forget to hit that subscribe button. This video is giving me a headache to make, but I'm all about giving you the tools to make smarter decisions about your future, even if it's really painful to do so. Next is going to be literature. And Shakespeare wrote that, neither a borrower nor a lender be. So basically, Shakespeare said that you shouldn't borrow money and you also shouldn't lend money because both of them end up getting people in a lot of trouble. And he was a pretty smart guy. And it's advice that literature majors might want to take more seriously. Now, a literature degree comes with astronomically high student loan debt. And while the idea of immersing yourself in the works of Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Hemingway sound romantic, the financial reality of this degree is anything but poetic. Many careers associated with this field, like writing, editing, or publishing, and the competition is fierce. And employers often look for practical experience or advanced degrees, meaning you might spend even more money before seeing a decent return on your investment. And while literature degrees do provide critical thinking and communication skills, those same skills can often be developed through self-study or less expensive educational paths. So why spend $100,000 on a college degree when a library card is free? Good question. And without a specific career plan, this degree might leave you analyzing your own financial struggles instead of timeless prose, which if you just got a good degree or if you just got a good job without getting a degree, you'd have plenty of time to do so anyways, debt-free. So there you have it, guys. I try to keep these videos kind of light. I don't wanna be too negative. I try not to be too negative on this channel in general. Whenever I do these negative degrees about college degrees, they always do really well. The videos always do really well. But I don't wanna make them all the time because I don't wanna constantly be negative about stuff. I do talk about negative stuff, but I try to give you solutions and I try to spin it in a positive way so you can see the silver lining. Choosing the right major isn't just about following your passions, right? Because if it was just about following your passions, then I think all of us would be majoring in either video game degrees or makeup degrees or something, right? And obviously that's not a good idea for most of us. It's about finding the balance between what you love to do, which is your passion, but also what the world needs, what you can get paid to do and what sets you up for long-term success. And sometimes that means asking the tough questions like is this degree worth the investment or will it leave me paying off loans for decades? And if you're watching this and you are in that situation, well, first of all, subscribe to my channel because I've made lots of videos that cover how to deal with that. But also, like I said, check out the resources down in the description in the pinned comment below. There are legit ways to deal with this. And many of the ways I've used myself and many others that I know have used them as well. Now, with that being said, check out a video I made on some of the best degrees just a little bit ago. I wanna end this off on a positive note and you can do that by clicking right here.