College is often pitched as a golden ticket: you graduate, land a dream job, and watch your bank account flourish. However, that dream ticket can sometimes come with a hefty surprise: student loan debt. On average, American students accumulate around $39,075 in federal loans by the time they celebrate their graduation. While a bachelor’s degree generally boosts earning potential, certain majors are significantly more likely to saddle graduates with a mountain of debt.
According to data from the Education Data Initiative, some academic fields are particularly notorious for leaving students with substantial financial burdens. Let’s delve into 15 majors that commonly result in students paying off loans long after receiving their diplomas, and explore the typical career paths they lead to.
Communications and Journalism
Students specializing in communications or journalism typically graduate with an average student debt of $25,925. Beyond traditional reporting roles, graduates can explore opportunities in copywriting, social media management, public relations, and human resources. It’s a versatile degree, but the reality of loan repayment can be a significant hurdle.
Health Professions and Clinical Sciences
Degrees in health professions or related clinical sciences can pave the way for careers in healthcare administration, clinical research, or education. However, students in these vital fields often accumulate an average debt of $25,952. This means the dedicated work of caring for others frequently begins alongside a substantial repayment schedule.
Visual and Performing Arts
Graduates from visual and performing arts programs face considerable financial challenges, with average debt hovering around $26,468. While career options span painting, design, acting, or dance, the often unpredictable nature of the arts market demands careful financial planning to balance creative pursuits with practical economics.
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
A degree in arts, entertainment, or media management opens doors across music, sports, television, and film industries. Graduates in this area carry an average debt of $26,468, illustrating that even behind-the-scenes roles in glamorous sectors come with a notable financial investment.
Architecture
Architecture programs blend creativity with engineering principles, preparing graduates for careers in building design, urban planning, or interior design. Yet, the cost of this extensive preparation is substantial, with students typically leaving university with an average of $26,468 in loans.
Music
Whether aspiring to perform on stage, work in a studio, or teach in a classroom, music majors often incur significant debt. Students graduate with an average of $26,600 in loans, even as their career trajectories might include teaching, sound engineering, or studio management.
Physical Sciences
Degrees in physics, chemistry, or other physical sciences provide a robust foundation for fields like engineering, environmental science, and related technical areas. Graduates typically face an average debt of $26,635, a figure that reflects the expense of preparing for these demanding scientific careers.
Natural Sciences
Students in natural science disciplines, encompassing biology, chemistry, and other foundational sciences, graduate with average loans of $26,912. While these degrees can serve as gateways to medicine, pharmacy, or research, the financial commitment is considerable.
Literature
English literature graduates may find careers in teaching, writing, journalism, or public relations. However, they also contend with an average student debt of $26,987, which can make initial career earnings feel surprisingly modest.
Clinical, Counseling, and Applied Psychology
Psychology undergraduates often leave school with an average of $27,439 in debt. Many enter roles as school counselors, social workers, or behavior technicians, though higher-paying positions usually necessitate further graduate-level study.
Education
Graduates with education degrees pursue admirable goals such as teaching, tutoring, or career counseling, but they frequently carry an average debt of $28,001. With median teacher salaries around $64,390, diligent budgeting and proactive financial planning are essential.
Human Services
Human services is a broad field encompassing social work, community outreach, and various counseling roles. Students in these helping professions graduate with an average debt of $28,586, underscoring the financial challenges often associated with these vital careers.
Culinary Arts
Culinary arts graduates dream of becoming renowned chefs or successful restaurateurs. However, their average student debt of $28,586 indicates that building a career in the culinary world comes at a notable cost. Starting salaries often lag behind the incurred loans, making astute financial planning critical.
Religious Education
Religious education graduates can find employment in teaching, nonprofit organizations, or within religious institutions. The average student debt in this field stands at $31,984, revealing that even spiritually fulfilling careers frequently entail a significant financial burden.
Behavioral Sciences
Students of behavioral sciences explore human behavior and organizational systems. Graduates from these programs carry the highest average debt on this list, at $42,822. This reflects both the broad applicability of the degree and the considerable cost of preparation.
The Bottom Line
The Education Data Initiative reports that the total student loan debt in the U.S. reached a staggering $1.81 trillion in the second quarter of 2025. While these figures can be daunting, pursuing a degree you’re passionate about can still be a rewarding investment—provided you plan wisely. Strategies like scholarships, pursuing side hustles, and developing smart loan repayment plans can empower graduates to chase their dreams without their debt casting a lifelong shadow.
Because ultimately, you can pursue your passion and navigate your student loans successfully.