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Lowest ROI Majors
Bottom 50 college majors by ROI percentile (net of opportunity cost)
| # | College | Major | Earnings | ROI | Employ | Degrees | Accept | SAT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oberlin | Theater | $18,039 | 1 | 89% | 11 | 34% | 1440 |
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| 2 | Bennington | Visual Arts | $20,724 | 1 | 88% | 17 | 48% | 1350 |
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| 3 | Oberlin | $22,476 | 1 | 100% | 21 | 34% | 1440 |
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| 4 | Washington University in St Louis | $24,121 | 1 | 100% | 12 | 12% | 1530 |
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| 5 | Lewis & Clark | Studio Art | $21,054 | 1 | 91% | 13 | 71% | — |
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| 6 | Bennington | Theatre | $23,104 | 1 | 94% | 17 | 48% | 1350 |
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| 7 | Carnegie Mellon | Voice and Opera | $23,666 | 1 | 95% | 10 | 11% | 1530 |
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| 8 | U. of Southern California | Choral Music | $24,763 | 1 | 86% | 19 | 12% | 1500 |
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| 9 | U. of Southern California | Jazz/Jazz Studies | $24,763 | 1 | 86% | 15 | 12% | 1500 |
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| 10 | U. of California, Irvine | Human Biology | $17,671 | 1 | 90% | 119 | 29% | — |
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| 11 | Furman | $24,045 | 1 | 100% | 13 | 48% | 1340 |
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| 12 | Grinnell | $28,164 | 1 | 97% | 16 | 14% | 1470 |
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| 13 | Carnegie Mellon | Drama | $26,137 | 1 | 100% | 44 | 11% | 1530 |
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| 14 | Bennington | $26,320 | 1 | 96% | 11 | 48% | 1350 |
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| 15 | Berklee College of Music | Dance | $19,056 | 1 | 95% | 28 | 44% | — |
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| 16 | Bennington | $26,794 | 1 | — | 10 | 48% | 1350 |
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| 17 | Lawrence | Art | $24,014 | 1 | 86% | 11 | 75% | 1310 |
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| 18 | Clemson | Fine/Studio Arts | $17,954 | 1 | 90% | 11 | 42% | 1320 |
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| 19 | Clemson | Fine Arts | $17,954 | 1 | 90% | 10 | 42% | 1320 |
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| 20 | Pacific Northwest College of Art | Digital Arts | $20,148 | 1 | 84% | 19 | 75% | — |
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| 21 | The New School | Jazz Studies | $23,875 | 1 | 86% | 51 | 63% | — |
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| 22 | The New School | Keyboard Instruments | $23,875 | 1 | 86% | 13 | 63% | — |
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| 23 | The New School | Music Performance | $23,875 | 1 | 86% | 13 | 63% | — |
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| 24 | The New School | Music History | $23,875 | 1 | 86% | 12 | 63% | — |
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| 25 | U. of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Theatre and Drama | $29,295 | 1 | 94% | 34 | 16% | 1450 |
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| 26 | U. of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Musical Theatre | $29,295 | 1 | 94% | 21 | 16% | 1450 |
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| 27 | Johns Hopkins | Human Biology | $28,878 | 1 | 90% | 14 | 6% | 1550 |
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| 28 | Carleton | $30,131 | 1 | 95% | 16 | 22% | 1500 |
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| 29 | The New School | Theatre | $24,596 | 1 | 94% | 39 | 63% | — |
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| 30 | The New School | Musical Theatre | $24,596 | 1 | 94% | 23 | 63% | — |
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| 31 | Pepperdine | Biology | $29,045 | 1 | 96% | 48 | 69% | 1370 |
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| 32 | Johns Hopkins | Music Performance | $29,252 | 1 | 92% | 69 | 6% | 1550 |
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| 33 | Yale | History of Art | $31,040 | 1 | 94% | 15 | 4% | 1520 |
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| 34 | Yale | Art | $31,040 | 1 | 94% | 14 | 4% | 1520 |
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| 35 | Indiana | Dance | $21,505 | 1 | 94% | 16 | 76% | 1280 |
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| 36 | U. of Southern California | Musical Theatre | $30,649 | 1 | 91% | 79 | 12% | 1500 |
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| 37 | U. of Southern California | Acting | $30,649 | 1 | 91% | 58 | 12% | 1500 |
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| 38 | U. of Southern California | Playwriting and Screenwriting | $30,649 | 1 | 91% | 31 | 12% | 1500 |
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| 39 | U. of Southern California | Stage Management | $30,649 | 1 | 91% | 14 | 12% | 1500 |
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| 40 | U. of Southern California | Musical Theatre | $30,649 | 1 | 91% | 10 | 12% | 1500 |
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| 41 | Reed | $30,743 | 1 | 88% | 26 | 29% | 1400 |
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| 42 | U. of California, Berkeley | Music | $20,541 | 1 | 73% | 54 | 11% | — |
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| 43 | Oberlin | Music Performance | $32,993 | 1 | 87% | 108 | 34% | 1440 |
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| 44 | Oberlin | Jazz Studies | $32,993 | 1 | 87% | 22 | 34% | 1440 |
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| 45 | Oberlin | Music | $32,993 | 1 | 87% | 17 | 34% | 1440 |
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| 46 | U. of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Organ | $32,036 | 1 | 92% | 72 | 16% | 1450 |
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| 47 | Muhlenberg | Public Health | $30,305 | 1 | 94% | 16 | 35% | 1330 |
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| 48 | The Juilliard School | Strings | $26,868 | 1 | 83% | 39 | 9% | — |
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| 49 | The Juilliard School | Keyboard | $26,868 | 1 | 83% | 20 | 9% | — |
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| 50 | The Juilliard School | Woodwinds | $26,868 | 1 | 83% | 10 | 9% | — |
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