10 College Majors That Leave Graduates With the Most Student Loan Debt
Nearly half of undergraduates take out loans, and borrowers graduate with a median of about $25,000 in student debt.
Curriculum and instruction majors carry the highest median debt, borrowing more than $20,000 above the typical bachelor's graduate.
Behavioral sciences, engineering-related technology, and alternative medicine also rank among the majors with the most student debt.
Trying to minimize how much student debt you take on in college? Your choice of major could make a bigger difference than you might expect.
Almost half of undergraduate students take out loans for their education, according to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Among these students, the median amount borrowed by the time they attained their bachelor's degree was about $25,084, according to a recent report from the Education Data Initiative.
Your major can affect not only what you earn after college, but also how much you may need to borrow to get there. Comparing likely debt with career prospects can help you make a more informed choice.
The major with the highest median student debt among undergraduates is curriculum and instruction, according to the Education Data Initiative. The median debt for these borrowers is more than $20,000 above the median for bachelor's degree graduates . Curriculum and instruction majors typically aim to find careers as education researchers or policymakers, or to use the degree as a stepping stone to a graduate program in teaching.
Behavioral sciences majors had the second-highest median debt, at $44,554. Behavioral sciences majors can go into fields such as counseling, social services, and research. According to Indeed, some of the higher-paying roles in the field require a master's degree or additional credentials. That can mean taking on more debt after earning a bachelor's degree, making it important to weigh expected earnings against total education costs.
Engineering-related technology majors have borrowed about $41,308 by the time they graduate. This major can vary in specializations, but in general, it differs from an engineering degree by focusing on applied engineering and real-world scenarios.
The median student loan debt for complementary and alternative medicine majors comes in fourth at more than $40,000. These programs can include fields such as acupuncture, naturopathy, and other nonconventional approaches to care. Career paths, licensing requirements, and earning potential vary widely by specialty and location, so students should look closely at program costs and likely income before borrowing heavily.
A bachelor's degree can cost some students more than others, especially if they do not qualify for financial aid, attend pricier private schools, or take more than four years to finish their degree. Some degrees can also have higher unemployment rates or lower salaries than others.
If student loan payments are becoming difficult to manage, borrowers should review their repayment and relief options before falling behind.
Higher debt loads and lower starting salaries can make it more difficult to pay off student debt after graduation. Borrowers who are struggling can pause their federal student loan payments through forbearance or deferment, or lower their monthly payment amount through an income-driven repayment plan.
While these options can give the debt more time to accrue interest and potentially make repayment longer or more expensive, they can also give borrowers valuable breathing room and help them avoid missed payments or default.
