15 College Majors With the Highest Student Debt Laura GesualdiGilmoreOctober 7, 2025 at 7:05 AM 1 Many people consider college because it can open doors after graduation and help them earn more money.
- - 15 College Majors With the Highest Student Debt
Laura Gesualdi-GilmoreOctober 7, 2025 at 7:05 AM
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Many people consider college because it can open doors after graduation and help them earn more money. But many students, on average, hold about $39,075 in debt from federal loans just to attend classes.
Earning a bachelor's degree can significantly increase your earning potential throughout your career, but certain degrees can make it much more difficult to crush your debt after graduating.
According to these recent numbers crunched by the Education Data Initiative, students pursuing a bachelor's degree in the following 15 majors have the most student debt.
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1. Communications/journalism
Communications, journalism, and related degrees round out the list of degree programs that produce graduates with the most student debt. Students pursuing these degrees should know that the average debt is fairly high, at $25,925.
Despite the debt, graduates can pursue many career paths beyond traditional journalism, such as copywriting, social media management, public relations, human resources, and more.
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2. Health professions/related clinical sciences
Those with degrees related to health professions/clinical sciences can pursue a wide range of careers, such as health care administration, health or science writing, clinical research, education, and others.
These degrees can saddle their students with serious debt with the Education Data Initiative putting the average at $25,952.
3. Visual/performing arts
Arts degrees can be very pricey, and due to extremely high demand, there is always the chance that the risk won't be worth the reward, financially speaking.
On the other hand, people who major in visual and performing arts have a huge variety of career paths open to them. Yet these students run the risk of being saddled with serious debt, $26,468 on average.
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4. Arts, entertainment, and media management
Students with degrees in arts, entertainment, and media management can be found in a large range of career paths, from working in the music business to sports entertainment to TV and film.
Unfortunately, these degrees often leave students with serious debt. The Education Data Initiative put the average student loan debt at $26,468, a tie with architecture and audiovisual communication technology degrees.
5. Architecture
Working as an architect can be a lucrative career, and architectural degrees can evolve into other similar professions, such as a drafter, urban planner, or interior designer.
That said, students with architecture degrees have an average student debt of $26,468.
6. Music
Students who pursue music degrees may dream of becoming a professional musician, but there are many other career paths these graduates could pursue, such as a music teacher, studio manager, or sound engineer.
Students who pursue music can find themselves saddled with serious debt. These bachelor's degrees have an average of $26,600 in debt.
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7. Physical sciences
A degree in physical sciences can prepare students for jobs in fields like engineering, geology, or meteorology.
Students with these degrees may have the option to pursue many lucrative career paths, such as environmental scientist, civil engineer, and urban planner, among others.
Yet, the degrees tend to come with hefty debts as well, averaging $26,635.
8. Natural sciences
A degree in natural science should prepare students with a basic background in biology and chemistry, and can be a great start for those hoping to work in medicine, pharmacy, or in related research fields.
But this foundational degree often comes with a hefty price tag. Students with degrees in natural science leave school with an average of $26,912 in debt.
9. Literature
While those who pursue degrees in English literature can take on a variety of career paths after graduating, many of these career paths, such as journalist, publicist, or teacher, can pay on the low end.
That can be a problem since students with these degrees are $26,987 in debt on average.
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10. Clinical, counseling, and applied psychology
Those with degrees in psychology can go on to pursue a number of professions, such as school counselor, behavior technician and social worker, but many of the higher-paying positions will require advanced degrees.
Students who pursue psychology degrees at the undergraduate level tend to leave school owing $27,439 on average.
11. Education
Most people seek out degrees in education with the hope of becoming a teacher, though there are other career options like being a consultant, career counselor or tutor.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for teachers is $64,390, so it is important for anyone hoping to pursue a degree in education to consider the risk versus benefit. The average student debt for education degrees is $28,001.
12. Human services
Like behavioral sciences, human services is a broad term that can prepare students for careers in a range of professions, from community outreach specialists to substance abuse counselors to social workers.
Like behavioral sciences, students pursuing a bachelor's degree in this area tend to leave school with hefty debts that average out to $28,586.
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13. Culinary arts
While top chefs can make extraordinary amounts of money, those who seek a bachelor's degree in culinary arts can also whip up big debts after graduation.
A degree in culinary arts could land you a job as a head chef, restaurant manager, caterer and plenty of other gigs. Be sure to consider that the average student debt for a bachelor's in culinary arts is $28,586.
14. Religious education
Those who study religion in college may take their bachelor's degrees in many different directions.
Some may continue their studies in a graduate program and go on to teach at the collegiate level while others may seek employment from churches or other religious institutions, nonprofits or museums.
While there is potential for many different types of employment, there is also potential to leave school with $31,984 in debt on average.
15. Behavioral sciences
Behavioral sciences is a broad term referring to fields that observe human behavior and help people or companies solve problems. People with degrees in behavioral sciences can get jobs in the mental health field or even go into human resources.
While people with behavioral sciences skills can certainly find ways to make extra money by transforming these skills into side hustles, those with bachelor's degrees in these fields tend to carry more debt than those with any other major, $42,822 on average.
Bottom line
The Education Data Initiative stated that in the second quarter of 2025, student loan debt in the U.S. rose to $1.81 trillion. While some of the average debts listed here may seem off-putting, there are still plenty of good reasons to pursue a degree in a field you are passionate about.
Whether you're pursuing a high-paying career or one that you care passionately about, there are many smart ways to save money and lower your financial stress in life.
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