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Lowest ROI Majors

Bottom 50 college majors by ROI percentile (net of opportunity cost)

# College Major Degrees Accept Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employ Debt-to-Earn Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl SAT p25 SAT p50 SAT p75 Submit %
1 Oberlin Creative Writing 14 33% $23,552 0 -3.52 1 100% — 43% 93% 0% 7% 0% 0% 1370 1430 1480 48%
2 Washington University in St Louis Jewish, Islamic, and Middle Eastern Studies 17 12% $24,983 1 -2.72 1 100% — 6% 76% 6% 0% 12% 0% 1500 1530 1550 61%
3 Bennington Theatre 18 37% $23,819 0 -2.58 1 94% — 22% 72% 0% 0% 6% 6% 1330 1400 1470 18%
4 U. of California, Irvine Human Biology 126 29% $15,599 1 -4.85 1 90% — 42% 14% 61% 2% 13% 1% — — — —
5 Arcadia Theatre 11 68% $18,079 0 -3.35 1 100% — 27% 73% 0% 18% 0% 0% — — — —
6 Bennington Music 13 37% $26,511 0 -2.17 1 100% — 62% 85% 8% 0% 8% 0% 1330 1400 1470 18%
7 Bennington Dance 22 37% $26,656 1 -2.20 1 — — 9% 59% 5% 14% 14% 0% 1330 1400 1470 18%
8 Furman English 18 49% $24,430 0 -3.41 1 100% — 22% 78% 0% 6% 0% 0% 1280 1350 1410 47%
9 U. of California, Berkeley Music 46 11% $17,970 0 -3.09 1 73% — 50% 35% 26% 2% 17% 9% — — — —
10 College for Creative Studies Fine Arts 10 93% $22,459 0 -2.61 1 80% — 20% 80% 10% 10% 0% 0% — — — —
11 Carleton English 15 22% $29,726 0 -2.77 1 95% — 33% 67% 0% 7% 20% 0% 1460 1500 1530 64%
12 Pacific Northwest College of Art Digital Arts 20 75% $19,152 0 -2.47 1 84% — 25% 80% 0% 0% 10% 5% — — — —
13 Lawrence Art 13 75% $25,220 1 -2.31 1 86% — 8% 46% 8% 8% 23% 8% 1200 1310 1420 54%
14 Reed English 43 29% $29,297 0 -2.82 1 88% — 28% 77% 5% 0% 9% 2% 1320 1410 1490 86%
15 Susquehanna Publishing 11 77% $25,671 0 -3.38 1 100% — 9% 64% 0% 0% 36% 0% 1100 1200 1300 47%
16 Johns Hopkins Human Biology 22 6% $28,272 1 -3.71 1 90% — 9% 5% 14% 23% 50% 0% 1530 1550 1560 77%
17 U. of Southern California Choral Music 24 11% $28,937 1 -1.91 1 93% — 58% 54% 8% 8% 17% 4% 1470 1510 1540 45%
18 U. of Southern California Jazz/Jazz Studies 13 11% $28,937 1 -1.91 1 93% — 85% 46% 8% 8% 31% 0% 1470 1510 1540 45%
19 Kenyon Studio Art 12 30% $31,362 3 -1.66 1 100% — 8% 67% 0% 0% 0% 0% 1400 1450 1490 16%
20 Kenyon Art History 10 30% $31,362 3 -1.59 1 100% — 0% 80% 0% 0% 10% 10% 1400 1450 1490 16%
21 Yale Art 18 3% $29,914 1 -1.81 1 94% — 17% 44% 6% 6% 28% 17% 1480 1520 1560 92%
22 Yale History of Art 16 3% $29,914 1 -1.70 1 94% — 25% 38% 12% 0% 38% 6% 1480 1520 1560 92%
23 Beacon Business Administration 15 44% $22,337 0 -2.87 1 — — 87% 53% 0% 27% 7% 13% — — — —
24 U. of Rochester Music Performance 90 42% $29,231 1 -1.88 1 96% — 40% 50% 14% 4% 4% 20% 1400 1460 1510 22%
25 U. of Rochester Jazz Studies 10 42% $29,231 1 -1.88 1 96% — 90% 80% 0% 0% 0% 10% 1400 1460 1510 22%
26 San Francisco Conservatory of Music Technology and Applied Composition 11 55% $23,902 0 -2.45 1 81% — 55% 45% 0% 0% 9% 18% — — — —
27 Bennington Creative Writing 11 37% $31,403 0 -2.56 1 — — 55% 82% 9% 9% 0% 0% 1330 1400 1470 18%
28 Cooper Union Studio Art 62 12% $20,758 0 -2.79 1 92% — 29% 27% 16% 13% 21% 10% 1290 1410 1500 39%
29 Indiana Dance 15 76% $21,767 0 -2.85 1 94% — 0% 87% 0% 7% 0% 0% 1200 1310 1410 58%
30 Rochester Institute of Technology Fine Arts Studio 15 67% $27,287 1 -2.09 1 90% — 33% 73% 7% 7% 0% 7% 1310 1380 1440 49%
31 Moore College of Art and Design Studio Art 10 56% $25,778 1 -2.25 1 100% — 0% 30% 0% 30% 0% 0% 1180 1280 1380 99%
32 Bennington Literature 21 37% $32,337 0 -2.45 1 95% — 14% 62% 5% 0% 14% 14% 1330 1400 1470 18%
33 Brown Modern Culture and Media 23 6% $33,351 0 -3.44 1 95% — 30% 39% 4% 9% 22% 9% 1470 1510 1550 100%
34 Occidental English 12 45% $30,214 0 -2.71 1 94% — 25% 75% 17% 0% 0% 0% 1400 1460 1510 33%
35 Muhlenberg Public Health 12 35% $30,343 0 -3.23 1 94% — 33% 50% 0% 25% 8% 8% 1250 1330 1410 22%
36 Cornell College Creative Writing 11 60% $27,994 0 -2.98 1 95% — 18% 73% 9% 0% 0% 0% 1120 1200 1280 25%
37 Manhattan School of Music Stringed Instruments 20 41% $27,070 0 -2.11 1 79% — 45% 35% 15% 0% 5% 40% — — — —
38 Manhattan School of Music Voice and Opera 19 41% $27,070 0 -2.11 1 79% — 32% 58% 11% 5% 11% 11% — — — —
39 Manhattan School of Music Keyboard Instruments 17 41% $27,070 0 -2.11 1 79% — 29% 0% 18% 0% 0% 82% — — — —
40 Manhattan School of Music Jazz Studies 14 41% $27,070 0 -2.11 1 79% — 93% 36% 0% 14% 14% 29% — — — —
41 U. of Richmond Chemistry 10 22% $32,915 0 -3.73 1 89% — 30% 80% 10% 0% 10% 0% 1420 1460 1490 33%
42 Kenyon Film Studies 11 30% $34,175 3 -2.17 1 — — 45% 82% 0% 9% 0% 0% 1400 1450 1490 16%
43 Rollins Theater 15 48% $28,868 2 -1.90 1 100% — 0% 67% 0% 7% 20% 0% 1160 1270 1370 41%
44 Stetson Music Performance 12 72% $27,554 0 -2.06 1 97% — 67% 42% 0% 8% 33% 17% 1060 1170 1270 28%
45 Stetson Music 11 72% $27,554 0 -2.06 1 97% — 55% 64% 9% 9% 18% 0% 1060 1170 1270 28%
46 Ringling College of Art and Design Fine Arts 41 67% $27,879 1 -2.03 1 92% — 39% 37% 10% 2% 20% 27% — — — —
47 Ringling College of Art and Design Studio Art 15 67% $27,879 1 -2.03 1 92% — 20% 60% 13% 0% 7% 13% — — — —
48 Southern Methodist Theatre 14 48% $34,432 7 -1.16 1 88% — 50% 50% 0% 7% 21% 7% 1340 1420 1490 25%
49 U. of Southern California Dance 15 11% $32,835 4 -1.37 1 96% — 40% 33% 20% 33% 0% 7% 1470 1510 1540 45%
50 Calvin Film Studies 15 68% $22,809 0 -3.83 1 100% — 67% 87% 7% 0% 7% 0% 1110 1220 1330 59%