We all know that a university’s graduate prospects can influence whether it’s worth applying — but the subject you study can matter just as much, if not more. In fact, some degrees still lead to average starting salaries that are lower than the UK graduate average, and in a few cases not far above non-graduate wages.

With tuition fees remaining high and living costs still squeezing graduates, many students feel growing pressure to choose a degree that offers a realistic return on investment. That’s especially important when you consider student loan repayments: under the current system, graduates begin repaying once they earn around £25,000 a year (Plan 5) — meaning some graduates are paying loans back almost immediately, while others earn below the threshold altogether.

If you’re worried about making the wrong choice, take a look at our updated list of the lowest-paying degree subjects in the UK, based on the latest graduate salary data.

The worst-paying degrees

We’ve used the most recent graduate salary figures collated by Save the Student from UK government and HESA data. The degrees below all sit at or below the lower end of the graduate pay scale, typically between £24,000 and £26,000.

The worst paying degrees in 2026

1. Arts, design & creative subjects — ~£25,000

Creative degrees continue to sit at the bottom of the graduate pay scale. On average, graduates in arts, design, and performing or creative subjects earn around £25,000 when starting out.

While higher-paid roles do exist — such as marketing managers, creative directors, or senior designers — these salaries usually come after several years of experience. Early-career work is often freelance, short-term, or poorly paid, which pulls down the overall average.

2. Media, journalism & communications — ~£24,900

Media-related degrees (including journalism, film, TV, radio, and communications) remain among the lowest-paid pathways for new graduates.

Although there is long-term earning potential in areas like advertising, PR, and broadcast media, entry-level roles are highly competitive and often poorly paid. With an average starting salary just under £25,000, many graduates in this field earn below or only just above the student loan repayment threshold.

3. Psychology — ~£25,000

Psychology is one of the most popular degrees in the UK, but it continues to deliver below-average starting salaries. Graduates earn around £25,000 on average, with many entry-level roles paying less.

This is largely because psychology careers often require postgraduate study, professional accreditation, or further training before salaries rise meaningfully. Roles in clinical, forensic, or educational psychology can pay well — but rarely straight out of university.

4. Biological & sport sciences — ~£26,000

Despite the technical and scientific nature of these degrees, biological and sport science graduates earn around £26,000 on average in their first roles.

Many graduates begin in lab assistant, research support, or technical roles with relatively modest pay. Salaries improve with postgraduate qualifications, NHS progression, or industry specialisation — but early earnings remain lower than many expect.

5. Law — ~£25,300

Law is often assumed to be a high-earning degree, but the average graduate salary tells a different story. Across all law graduates, starting salaries sit at around £25,300.

This reflects the reality that only a small proportion of graduates secure high-paying training contracts at top firms. Many others enter paralegal roles, legal admin, or non-legal jobs while trying to progress — keeping the overall average relatively low.

6. Architecture, building & planning — ~£28,400

While not the very lowest-paid, architecture and planning degrees still underperform relative to expectations. Graduates earn around £28,400, often after completing internships or practical placements.

Architecture in particular requires years of additional training and chartership before reaching higher salaries, meaning early-career pay is relatively modest compared to the workload and responsibility involved.

7. Languages & area studies — ~£26,700

Language graduates typically earn around £26,700 at entry level. The degree itself is versatile — feeding into careers in teaching, marketing, international business, diplomacy, and translation — but salaries depend heavily on how the language skill is applied.

Graduates who combine languages with commercial, technical, or professional skills tend to earn more than those entering generalist roles.

For more career inspo, find out what you can do with a Modern Language degree.

8. Education & teaching — ~£30,000 (with caveats)

Education degrees technically sit above many others on this list, with average graduate salaries around £30,000 — largely due to structured teacher pay scales.

However, not all education graduates go straight into teaching, and early-career roles outside the classroom can pay significantly less. Teaching salaries also vary by location, with London weighting increasing pay by several thousand pounds compared to other regions.

9. Historical, philosophical & religious studies — ~£27,500

Graduates in history, philosophy, and related subjects earn around £27,500 on average. These degrees offer strong transferable skills — critical thinking, research, writing — but do not map directly onto high-paying entry-level roles.

Here’s more on what you can do with a history degree, and your options of what to do with a philosophy degree.

As a result, salaries vary widely depending on whether graduates move into academia, education, policy, research, marketing, or corporate roles.

So, that’s our list of the worst-paying degrees in the UK! If you find your subject on this list, remember it’s not the end of the world. Success doesn’t follow a linear path and your options are limitless if you keep your opportunities open. If you’re still deciding what’s best to study, take a look at the most pointless degrees to study at university.

And…if you’re wondering which are the best-paying degrees to compare…

How this compares to the best-paying degrees

For context, the highest-paying graduate degrees in the UK currently include:

• Medicine & dentistry (~£38,000)
• Veterinary science (~£34,000)
• Engineering & technology (~£32,000)
• Mathematical sciences (~£31,000)
• Computer science (~£31,000)

With this degree, you might become a farm manager or an agricultural engineer and so on. The average salary for a farmer is £23,980 at entry level, but can vary massively due to the high number of roles in the industry. If you keep it going, a more experienced farmer could earn up to £45,000.

Although these are the worst-paying degrees, sometimes the university you go to can make a difference. That’s why it’s worth knowing which unis graduates earn the least!