The college majors that lead to the most & least underemployment

When it comes to choosing a college major, we’re advocates for doing what you love and picking the area in which you’re most interested.

If you’re passionate about what you’re studying, you’re more likely to succeed both during and after college.

That being said, particularly with the rising cost of college and increasing student debt, we believe that students need to be realistic about their future prospects when making the choice to attend a college and, perhaps, go into debt to earn a Bachelor’s degree.

Overeducated and underemployed

The video from Bloomberg Businessweek looks at the college majors in the United States that are most likely to lead to a graduate believing they are ‘underemployed,’ or in a profession that does not fit their level of education and skill.

Their data is based on a recent PayScale survey of 68,000 workers.

As the chart below from Washington Post shows, Criminal Justice and Business were among the top college majors that leave feeling graduates underemployed, while STEM majors like engineering and physics were less likely to feel that way.

Image credit: Washington Post

Consider job prospects when choosing a college major

With 6 out of 10 recent college graduates unemployed or underemployed, it’s important to recognize the impact of choosing a college major and taking out student loans to pay for college, since it may not be easy for students who choose study these subjects to find a high-paying job.

If you’re having trouble paying your student loans in your current position, you may benefit from switching to a different repayment plan that would let you reduce your payments.

And if you’re in the process of figuring out how to choose a college and field of study that won’t leave you thousands of dollars in debt, we can help you figure out your smartest financial option.

For help with student loan repayment or making college affordable, feel free to call us at 1-888-234-3907 or contact us here and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours.