Least Useful Degree: How to Avoid a Career Trap

It’s wild how some people spend years (and a small fortune) chasing a degree that barely helps them find a job. When you’re prepping for competitive exams, picking the right major actually matters a lot—because some degrees barely get a second glance from employers.

Here’s the blunt truth: a degree is only as useful as the doors it opens after you graduate. Some fields are stuck in the past, or just don’t line up with what companies want right now. There are real stats showing certain majors have stubbornly high unemployment and low pay, even while everyone from your aunt to college brochures swears they’re a ‘great foundation.’

Don’t just trust empty hype. If you want to actually use your qualification as a stepping stone (instead of a paperweight), it pays to know which degrees are practically invisible in the job market. Let’s break down what makes a degree helpful or useless so you can steer clear of the classic traps.

• What Makes a Degree Useful or Useless?
• Degrees Employers Overlook
• Shocking Job Market Stats
• How Competitive Exams Change the Game
• Tips for Making Smart Education Choices

What Makes a Degree Useful or Useless?

So, what separates a degree that sets you up for success from one that leads you straight into a job-hunting dead end? It boils down to how well the skills you learn actually match what companies are looking for right now. If you finish college and notice employers barely care about your major—or worse, have never heard of it—something’s off.

The least useful degree is usually one that doesn’t give you practical, job-ready skills. You know, majors that sound cool on paper but don’t have obvious career paths or demand in hiring surveys. For example, a recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that majors like Philosophy and Fine Arts had the highest rates of unemployment after graduation—around 7.4%, compared to just 2.3% for Nursing.

Here’s what actually makes a degree stand out:

• It lines up with fast-growing job markets (think tech, healthcare, and engineering).
• Employers mention it specifically in job ads and hiring surveys.
• You get hands-on skills and certifications that you can show off, not just abstract theories.
• Alumni from that major actually get jobs—check your college website for real stats, not just glossy brochures.

If you choose a degree because “everyone says it’s broad,” that’s risky—especially when you’re competing with focused candidates in competitive exams or tough job interviews.

So, don’t just look at a degree title. Dig into who’s hiring, what skills they want, and where past grads actually work. That’s how you skip the trap and pick a degree that holds up in real life.

Degrees Employers Overlook

Not every degree gets you noticed in the job market. Some might sound good on paper, but when it’s time to get hired, employers just skip over them. Let’s talk straight—if you’re aiming to stand out in the world of least useful degree, you need to know the repeat offenders.

One major example is Fine Arts. Sure, being creative is great, but most companies aren’t looking for people with painting or sculpture skills unless you’re set on a rare art career. A study by the U.S. National Center for Education Statistics found Fine Arts graduates have the highest unemployment rate at 9.1% a year after finishing school. Even when they do find jobs, the pay is low—an average starting salary of about $37,000 a year, way below the national average for all graduates.

Philosophy and Religious Studies is another field that struggles in the job market. You gain deep critical thinking, but not the hard technical skills employers want for real-world problems. Numbers show these majors have a 6% unemployment rate and nearly 50% end up in jobs that don’t require a college degree in the first place.

Library Science, once a steady pick, has taken a hit as public libraries cut budgets and digital resources take over. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there’s a projected job growth of only 3% over the next ten years for librarians—way less than the average for all professions.

Here’s a handy breakdown of degrees employers tend to overlook (with how they’re doing in the job market):

So, if you’re choosing your major and hoping for a smooth road to a steady job, double-check if your degree is really in demand. If it’s only leading to high job search time, tough competition, or a career outside your field, you might want to rethink things. Always keep an eye on what employers are actually hiring for—real data beats empty promises every time.

Shocking Job Market Stats

The numbers don’t lie—a bunch of popular degrees just aren’t pulling their weight when it comes to jobs and pay. According to the U.S. Federal Reserve, nearly 41% of recent grads in 2024 found themselves in jobs that didn’t need a college diploma at all. That’s a tough pill to swallow after four years of hard work and tuition fees.

Let’s zero in: The National Center for Education Statistics keeps calling out fields like performing arts, philosophy, and religious studies for having some of the lowest hiring rates and paychecks right now. The least useful degree in terms of employment in the last few years? Liberal arts tops more than one list. Even the Wall Street Journal recently wrote,

“Graduates with general studies or philosophy majors report jobless rates above 9% year after year. Compare that to 2% or less for fields like nursing or engineering.”

Here’s a quick reality check on average annual salaries for first jobs right out of college (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023):

• Philosophy and Religious Studies: $39,000
• Liberal Arts and General Studies: $37,000
• Performing Arts: $36,500
• Engineering: $72,000
• Computer Science: $70,000

That’s not a small difference. And when you factor in student loan payments, your degree’s earning power can make or break your financial future. So, if you’re aiming for a steady paycheck and job security, it’s smart to pay close attention to where the real opportunities are—and which degrees are just not cutting it in today’s job market.

How Competitive Exams Change the Game

Competitive exams flip the script when it comes to degree value. In many careers—think government jobs, banking, or public sector gigs—the degree itself is sometimes just a ticket to sit for the test. What happens after? Your score and skills decide everything, not always what you studied in college.

For example, the UPSC Civil Services Exam in India is open to anyone with a bachelor’s degree, no matter the subject. It doesn’t matter if your degree is in philosophy or engineering—the playing field is level. The big focus is on analytical skills, current affairs, and problem-solving, not your college major. The same goes for exams like SSC, IBPS, or even some teacher eligibility tests.

• A 2023 survey by Naukri.com showed that 68% of public sector job applicants had degrees unrelated to their test subjects.
• More than 50% of candidates cracking banking exams weren’t from finance or commerce backgrounds.

Here’s a real shift: these exams make degrees like sociology or history just as valuable as more "practical" ones, at least for eligibility. So, the least useful degree label gets blurred if you’re eyeing government jobs. But watch out—outside this track, employers want skills that match the job, not just a random piece of paper.

If you’re banking on competitive exams for your future, focus less on picking a "hot" major and more on sharpening the stuff these tests measure—reasoning, speed, general awareness, and communication. But if you’re aiming for private sector jobs, remember: your degree field starts to matter again real quick.

Tips for Making Smart Education Choices

Choosing your degree is no joke. You’re tossing a lot of money and years into the mix, so it’s worth zeroing in on what actually pays off. Here’s how you can skip the regret and land where you want:

• Least useful degree: Stay clear of majors with consistently high unemployment and low earnings, like some performing arts and religious studies degrees, unless you’ve got a clear game plan.
• Scope out job data for your dream field. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) updates annual lists of fastest-growing jobs—tech and healthcare still top the charts.
• Check if your chosen degree is a good fit for competitive exams. Degrees like engineering, law, and business tend to offer more options for government and corporate exams.
• See if your school offers internships, work placements, or industry connections. In a recent LinkedIn study, 85% of jobs are filled via networking. Make sure your curriculum isn’t all theory and zero action.
• Plan ahead for further qualifications. Some undergrad degrees are only stepping stones if you commit to grad school or extra licenses (think psychology or teaching).

Curious about which degrees usually pay off or flop? Here are the average unemployment rates and starting salaries for some common majors, taken from a 2024 National Center for Education Statistics report:

If you’re chasing a degree simply because it sounds interesting, pause and think: will it help you crack the exams you’re aiming for, or get you a job that fits? And remember, skills are gold—sometimes even more than your major. Pick up coding, digital marketing, or data analysis if they fit your goals. You’ll stand out much more during job hunts and competitive tests.