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 4 of 5
37–48
of 54 fields analyzed
Humanities
Only if you love the work

English

Strong pipeline credential, weak terminal one — the bachelor's alone doesn't clear the debt math

Median earnings · 10 yr
$62,668
Median debt at graduation
$20,891
Employment growth · 2024–34 (blended)
-1.5%
Read the analysis →
Humanities
Only if you love the work

History

Rewarding if you plan carefully, painful if you drift

Median earnings · 10 yr
$66,345
Median debt at graduation
$20,979
Employment growth · 2024–34 · Managers, all other
+4.5%
Read the analysis →
Mathematics
Worth it

Applied Mathematics

Strong ROI with an unusually wide ceiling — and a crowded master's tier

Median earnings · 10 yr
$110,609
Median debt at graduation
$21,417
Employment growth · 2024–34 · Financial and investment analysts
+5.7%
Read the analysis →
Mathematics
Worth it with a plan

Mathematics

Worth it — but only if you pair it with a second skill or plan to stack

Median earnings · 10 yr
$85,563
Median debt at graduation
$20,498
Employment growth · 2024–34 (blended)
+4.7%
Read the analysis →
Mathematics
Worth it

Statistics

A quietly elite quantitative major — strong ROI, modest debt, unusually broad exit optionality

Median earnings · 10 yr
$113,914
Median debt at graduation
$20,562
Employment growth · 2024–34 · Data scientists
+33.5%
Read the analysis →
Natural Sciences
Only if you love the work

Biochemistry

A pre-professional pipeline — the upside lives at the PhD or MD tier

Median earnings · 10 yr
$102,020
Median debt at graduation
$22,161
Employment growth · 2024–34 · Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
+8.7%
Read the analysis →
Natural Sciences
Only if you love the work

Biology

A pipeline degree — the real money starts at graduate school

Median earnings · 10 yr
$82,087
Median debt at graduation
$20,240
Employment growth · 2024–34 (blended)
+0.8%
Read the analysis →
Natural Sciences
Worth it, with caveats

Chemistry

Strong long-term payoff, but the bachelor's alone leaves you short

Median earnings · 10 yr
$95,457
Median debt at graduation
$20,716
Employment growth · 2024–34 (blended)
+5.7%
Read the analysis →
Natural Sciences
Only if you love the work

Environmental Science

Debt math works only at the master's — the bachelor's pays like a passion credential

Median earnings · 10 yr
$70,698
Median debt at graduation
$19,981
Employment growth · 2024–34 · Compliance officers
+3.0%
Read the analysis →
Natural Sciences
Only if you love the work

Neuroscience

A pre-professional pipeline — the bachelor's alone doesn't clear the bar

Median earnings · 10 yr
$107,154
Median debt at graduation
$21,622
Employment growth · 2024–34 · Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
+8.7%
Read the analysis →
Natural Sciences
Worth it with a plan

Physics

A strong analytical credential — but a bachelor's-alone path leans on pivots, not on physics

Median earnings · 10 yr
$105,505
Median debt at graduation
$20,110
Employment growth · 2024–34 (blended)
-1.0%
Read the analysis →
Public Service
Transfer-first, not bachelor's-first

Criminal Justice

One of the weakest bachelor's-tier ROI cases in public service — most of the named jobs don't require the degree

Median earnings · 10 yr
$65,038
Median debt at graduation
$17,556
Employment growth · 2024–34 · Security guards
+0.4%
Read the analysis →