There’s always been a fierce difference of opinion over which university degrees are the best and which are the worst. Which degree will earn you the most money at the end of it and which is actually worth your time?
Instead of trying to decide which university courses are the most worthwhile, it’s easier to decipher which ones are best avoided. Here’s our list of the uni degrees that are probably not worth the nine thousand pounds you pay for them, with help from figures from job vacancy website Azuna.
Art & Design
Unfortunately, this one was a no brainer. Although most art students are obviously very talented, the degree itself is effectively pointless. In 2019, Azuna released figures stating that art graduates have one of the lowest average salaries of £24,862 after five years at work. We all know that the motivation behind your degree shouldn’t be the salary at the end, but there needs to be some financial motivation to it, especially seeing as art students seem to spend a fortune on supplies in the first place. Sorry.
English
Despite there being many career paths for someone with an English degree, graduates’ salaries after leaving uni are not so good. English language graduates have an average salary after five years of £24,990, leading us to question whether the three years of reading books, analysing texts and writing essays is actually worth it. Unless you plan on becoming a best-selling author or a top lecturer during your career, choosing an English degree might not be the right decision.
Counselling
Although society and the NHS will probably thank you for studying for a counselling degree, your bank balance might not as counselling graduates have one of the lowest average salaries after five years of £20,719. However, if your love for your job is more important than the money you earn, this probably wouldn’t put you off. Although the salary might be lame, the greater good you can achieve with healthcare and mental health degrees is certainly not.
Ecology
We’re definitely thinking the same thing, what even is ecology? Apparently, it’s something to with biology but to be honest, it’s not a degree that many people have heard of before. Ecology graduates can expect to earn an average salary of £23,066 after five years which is slightly higher than counselling graduates but still not worth your time (in our opinion). However, if Ecology is something that interests you, don’t let the figures prevent you from choosing to study it.
Performing Arts
Despite being some of the most competitive degrees to get into, especially at a specialist performing arts schools, the likelihood of you becoming a west-end superstar after uni is not high. Getting a graduate job in performing arts can be equally as hard as getting a degree in the first place, so maybe save your tuition fees and join the performing arts society for free instead.
Music
A lot of the best musicians out there don’t necessarily have a music degree, so why waste your money on getting one? You might genuinely be interested in learning music theory, but this could be learnt from reading a book instead. Pick up your instrument and practice, there’s no need for music degrees when you could just teach yourself everything you need to know. It’s just that simple.
Philosophy & Religious studies
Again, these are the types of degrees which may be incredibly interesting to study, but at the end of the day, they’re not really worth a lot. Unless you’re planning on becoming the next messiah or probably more likely, wanting to teach the subjects to students in the future, the thought of studying for a degree in philosophy or religious studies is pretty lame.
Film studies
Anyone can be a film connoisseur, and all you need is a Netflix account (or other streaming platforms if you prefer) Although it probably sounds like the most enjoyable degree out of the lot, your future job prospects after graduating might not be so enjoyable. But hey, nothing is impossible, and there’s always going to be jobs out there that suit every degree, including film studies.
Now you know what to not to study, but what degrees should you study instead? Read on to find out the most useful university degrees.
