There's been a debate raging about whether college is worth the cost. The New York Times weighed in with a story recently saying it was a good deal if a college degree was earned.
Still, not all degrees are the same when it comes to earning power at a job. Recently, we looked at the 30 Best Paying College Majors: 2014. Engineering fields took many of the top spots in the survey of 129 majors.
Now we turn our attention to which pay the worst. Of course, salary isn't the only consideration when choosing a career, but it can't be denied that the more one earns the faster those student loans can be paid off. Still, the careers on our list might lead to personal fulfillment that can't be measured in monetary terms.
(Related: 15 Cheapest Colleges With Best Job Value)
The rankings below are based on data collected by payscale.com from 1,000 universities and include graduates with bachelor's degrees only. The universities surveyed include 88% of U.S. schools with an enrollment of more than 5,0000. We sorted them by starting salary down to the lowest and included information and ranking for mid-career pay.
Take a look at the 30 Worst Paying College Majors: 2014.
30. Liberal Arts
Starting Salary: $36,900
Mid-Career Salary: $60,500 (86th, tie)
29. Psychology
Starting Salary: $36,300
Mid-Career Salary: $60,700 (85th)
28 (tie). Photography
Starting Salary: $36,200
Mid-Career Salary: $55,500 (110th)
28 (tie). Theater
Starting Salary: $36,200
Mid-Career Salary: $58,600 (96th, tie)
28 (tie). Anthropology
Starting Salary: $36,200
Mid-Career Salary: $61,400 (83rd)
25. Art
Salary: $36,100
Mid-Career Salary: $57,100 (103rd)
24. Interior Design
Starting Salary: $36,000
Mid-Career Salary: $59,300 (91st)
23 (tie). Human Development
Starting Salary: $35,900
Mid-Career Salary: $48,000 (125th)
23 (tie). Public Health
Starting Salary: $35,900
Mid-Career Salary: $56,500 (106th)
21 (tie). Music
Starting Salary: $35,700
Mid-Career Salary: $51,400 (119th)
21 (tie). Hospitality & Tourism
Starting Salary: $35,700
Mid-Career Salary: $62,600 (81st)
19 (tie). Drama
Starting Salary: $35,600
Mid-Career Salary: $56,300 (107th, tie)
19 (tie). Kinesiology
Starting Salary: $35,600
Mid-Career Salary: $60,400 (88th, tie)
17. Biblical Studies
Starting Salary: $35,400
Mid-Career Salary: $50,800 (123rd)
16. Criminal Justice
Starting Salary: $35,300
Mid-Career Salary: $58,400 (98th)
15. Horticulture
Starting Salary: $35,200
Mid-Career Salary: $50,900 (122nd)
14 (tie). Recreation & Leisure Studies
Starting Salary: $35,000
Mid-Career Salary: $51,900 (118th)
14 (tie). Paralegal Studies
Starting Salary: $35,000
Mid-Career Salary: $53,000 (116th)
12 (tie). Physical Education Training
Starting Salary: $34,900
Mid-Career Salary: $56,300 (107th, tie)
12 (tie). Religious Studies
Starting Salary: $34,900
Mid-Career Salary: $57,900 (101st)
10 (tie). Athletic Training
Starting Salary: $34,800
Mid-Career Salary: $46,900 (126th)
10 (tie). Culinary Arts
Starting Salary: $34,800
Mid-Career Salary: $51,100 (120th)
8. Theology
Starting Salary: $34,000
Mid-Career Salary: $52,200 (117th)
7. Special Education
Starting Salary: $33,800
Mid-Career Salary: $49,600 (124th)
6. Animal Science
Starting Salary: $33,600
Mid-Career Salary: $55,200 (112th, tie)
5. Social Work
Starting Salary: $33,000
Mid-Career Salary: $46,600 (127th)
4. Broadcast Journalism
Starting Salary: $32,700
Mid-Career Salary: $68,800 (69th)
3. Exercise Science
Starting Salary: $32,600
Mid-Career Salary: $51,000 (121st)
2. Elementary Education
Starting Salary: $32,200
Mid-Career Salary: $45,300 (128th)
1. Child & Family Studies
Starting Salary: $30,300
Mid-Career Salary: $37,200 (129th)
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