undergradly.
Undergradly · Worth It?

Is this degree
actually worth it?

A straight answer for every major on the list — decision-oriented, not directory-style. Each page combines median earnings (Census PSEO, 1 / 5 / 10 years after graduation), median debt at graduation (College Scorecard), and labor-market projections (BLS 2024–2034) into a single verdict and an associate-vs-bachelor trade-off you can act on.

We aggregate across CIP codes and institutions to produce field-level numbers, then translate them into a plain-language verdict you can act on — worth it, worth it with caveats, or not for the cost.

Page 1 of 5
1–12
of 54 fields analyzed
Arts

Architecture

Architecture graduates: median pay of $84,253 ten years after entry, $19,174 median debt at graduation, and +3.8% projected job growth to 2034.

Median earnings · 10 yr
$84,253
Median debt at graduation
$19,174
Employment growth · 2024–34 · Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8%
Read the analysis →
Arts
Only if you love the work

Design & Applied Arts

Genuine career, but expect a slow burn and wide outcome spread

Median earnings · 10 yr
$62,939
Median debt at graduation
$18,179
Employment growth · 2024–34 (blended)
+2.8%
Read the analysis →
Arts
Only if you love the work

Film, Video & Photography

Real careers exist, but the early numbers are genuinely painful

Median earnings · 10 yr
$63,289
Median debt at graduation
$18,687
Employment growth · 2024–34 · Producers and directors
+4.9%
Read the analysis →
Arts
Only if you love the work

Fine & Studio Arts

Passion-driven path with thin margins and a shrinking baseline job market

Median earnings · 10 yr
$57,618
Median debt at graduation
$19,618
Employment growth · 2024–34 (blended)
-0.4%
Read the analysis →
Arts
Only if you love the work

Music

Passion-driven, but the numbers don't carry the degree on their own

Median earnings · 10 yr
$61,961
Median debt at graduation
$20,051
Employment growth · 2024–34 (blended)
-0.9%
Read the analysis →
Business
Worth it, with caveats

Accounting

Solid, predictable returns — but automation is quietly trimming the floor

Median earnings · 10 yr
$79,946
Median debt at graduation
$18,451
Employment growth · 2024–34 (blended)
+2.5%
Read the analysis →
Business
Worth it, with caveats

Business Administration

Respectable ROI, but the degree works only if you use it to get somewhere specific

Median earnings · 10 yr
$74,579
Median debt at graduation
$18,670
Employment growth · 2024–34 (blended)
+3.8%
Read the analysis →
Business
Worth it

Finance

Strong earnings trajectory, but the job pool splits sharply by credential

Median earnings · 10 yr
$97,984
Median debt at graduation
$21,009
Employment growth · 2024–34 · General and operations managers
+4.4%
Read the analysis →
Business
Worth it, with caveats

Hospitality Management

Solid entry into a people-driven industry — earnings ceiling is real

Median earnings · 10 yr
$61,458
Median debt at graduation
$16,278
Employment growth · 2024–34 · Managers, all other
+4.5%
Read the analysis →
Business
Worth it, with caveats

Human Resources

Steady demand, solid mid-career earnings — but the entry floor is crowded

Median earnings · 10 yr
$81,968
Median debt at graduation
$20,216
Employment growth · 2024–34 · Human resources specialists
+6.2%
Read the analysis →
Business
Worth it, with caveats

Management Information Systems

Strong long-run returns — if you're aiming at management, not programming

Median earnings · 10 yr
$93,348
Median debt at graduation
$20,427
Employment growth · 2024–34 · Computer and information systems managers
+15.2%
Read the analysis →
Business
Worth it, with caveats

Management Sciences

Strong earnings ceiling, but the bachelor's is not the real credential here

Median earnings · 10 yr
$108,545
Median debt at graduation
$21,648
Employment growth · 2024–34 · General and operations managers
+4.4%
Read the analysis →