These 10 College Majors Offer the Lowest Returns on Investment in Canada
University life is frequently promoted as an opportunity for students to delve into their aspirations and hobbies. However, enthusiasm alone won’t cover living expenses. Recent data shows that graduates with majors in fields like education, social work, or the arts have some of the lowest median earnings after just half a decade post-graduation.
data
from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Foreign language majors receive the smallest salaries among all entry-level college graduates, with a median yearly earning of $40,000. Those who majored in general social sciences have a slightly higher median pay at $41,000 annually. Graduates from performing arts programs see an even better outcome, securing a median annual income of $41,900. At the lower end of the spectrum, anthropology and early childhood education graduates finish off the last five positions, each having a median wage of around $42,000 per year.
Although foreign language abilities can be advantageous for numerous job hunters, they do not necessarily lead to better-paying positions. Today, individuals have greater opportunities to achieve linguistic competency without pursuing a traditional degree, thanks to applications like
Duolingo
Individuals who choose to study a foreign language often enter sectors with typically lower salaries, like public service or translation work.
Despite reaching mid-level career positions, these professionals receive considerably lower salaries compared to those in technology-related fields. Individuals who majored in early childhood education experience the most modest earnings at this stage, reporting a median yearly income of $49,000. Those with an elementary education background fare somewhat better, earning a median annual salary of around $53,000 during their middle careers.
Students who
major in STEM fields
For instance, fields like engineering and computer science often result in higher earnings because of the increased demand for these specialized skill sets within well-paying sectors such as finance and tech.
In summary, the least lucrative undergraduate fields in terms of starting salaries are:
- Foreign language ($40,000)
- General social sciences ($41,000)
- Performing arts ($41,900)
- Anthropology ($42,000)
- Early childhood education ($42,000)
- Family and Consumer Sciences ($42,000)
- General education ($42,000)
- Miscellaneous biological science ($42,000)
- Social services ($42,000)
- Theology and religion ($42,000)
The lowest paying degrees in terms of median income at the midpoint of one’s career are as follows:
- Early childhood education ($49,000)
- Elementary education ($53,000)
- Social services ($54,000)
- General education ($55,000)
- Special education ($55,000)
- Secondary education (58,000)
- Theology and religion ($60,000)
- Miscellaneous education ($60,000)
- Family and Consumer Sciences ($62,000)
- Health services ($65,000)
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