These Are The Least Valuable College Majors After Graduation

According to a new study done by Bankrate, college graduates with degrees in STEM fields, aka science, technology, engineering and math, are more likely to earn a higher paycheck and less likely to be unemployed. Bankrate examined the median incomes and unemployment rates of people based on which bachelor’s degree they obtained in college. They also factored in how many people in each group obtained a higher degree, such as a master’s degree or doctoral degree, knowing additional schooling typically requires more time and money. Here are the results of their study.

These are the top 10 most valued college majors:

1. Naval Architecture And Marine Engineering (Median income: $90,000; Unemployment rate: 1.6 percent, Percent with an advanced degree: 29 percent)
2. Nuclear Engineering (Median income: $98,100; Unemployment rate: 1.8 percent, Percent with an advanced degree: 56 percent)
3. Pharmacy Pharmaceutical Sciences And Administration (Median income: $100,000; Unemployment rate: 2.2 percent,Percent with an advanced degree: 58 percent)
4. Genetics (Median income: $85,000;Unemployment rate: 1.2 percent,Percent with an advanced degree: 76 percent)
5. Electrical Engineering (Median income: $99,000; Unemployment rate: 2.7 percent, Percent with an advanced degree: 46 percent)
6. Architectural Engineering (Median income: $74,000; Unemployment rate: 1.5 percent, Percent with an advanced degree: 29 percent)
7. Aerospace Engineering (Median income: $90,000; Unemployment rate: 2.3 percent, Percent with an advanced degree: 49 percent)
8. Computer Engineering (Median income: $92,000; Unemployment rate: 2.8 percent, Percent with an advanced degree: 40 percent)
9. Electrical Engineering Technology (Median income: $76,000; Unemployment rate: 1.8 percent, Percent with an advanced degree: 30 percent)
10. Materials Science (Median income: $90,000; Unemployment rate: 2 percent, Percent with an advanced degree: 66 percent)

These are the 10 least valued college majors:

1. Communication Technologies (Median income: $40,000; Unemployment rate: 4.9 percent,Percent with an advanced degree: 11 percent)
2. Cosmetology Services And Culinary Arts (Median income: $35,000; Unemployment rate: 3.3 percent, Percent with an advanced degree: 12 percent)
3. Mass Media (Median income: $40,000; Unemployment rate: 6 percent, Percent with an advanced degree: 16 percent)
4. Music (Median income: $36,000; Unemployment rate: 3.1 percent, Percent with an advanced degree: 42 percent)
5. Miscellaneous Fine Arts (Median income: $38,000; Unemployment rate: 5.7 percent, Percent with an advanced degree: 20 percent)
6. Film Video And Photographic Arts (Median income: $37,000; Unemployment rate: 6.5 percent, Percent with an advanced degree: 15 percent)
7. Fine Arts (Median income: $37,000; Unemployment rate: 4.8 percent, Percent with an advanced degree: 24 percent)
8. Linguistics And Comparative Language And Literature (Median income: $40,000; Unemployment rate: 3.9 percent, Percent with an advanced degree: 45 percent)
9. Composition And Rhetoric (Median income: $37,800; Unemployment rate: 4.4 percent, Percent with an advanced degree: 29 percent)
10. Visual And Performing Arts (Median income: $32,000; Unemployment rate: 4.1 percent, Percent with an advanced degree: 23 percent)
11. Drama And Theater Arts (Median income: $35,500; Unemployment rate: 5.2 percent, Percent with an advanced degree: 26 percent)

You can read Bankrate's full ranking of all 162 college majors here.

Photo: Getty