Future-Proof Your Education: Harvard’s Insights on College Degrees Losing Value and What to Pursue Instead

In recent years, many students have expressed anxiety about the long-term value of their chosen college majors. Groundbreaking research from Harvard faculty and economists sheds light on how factors like credential value, job matching, and degree inflation are reshaping the economic returns of various academic pursuits.

Degrees Losing Market Value

Harvard labor economists David J. Deming and Kadeem Noray, in their 2020 study, pointed out a significant trend: the value of some traditionally strong applied degrees, such as computer science, engineering, and business, can quickly decrease throughout a career. This is largely due to the rapid obsolescence of job skills. They observed that “the earnings premium for graduates majoring in technology-intensive subjects declines rapidly over time as workers sort out of faster-changing occupations.” This critical insight emphasizes that continuous skill development is crucial for these degrees to retain their value.

Further echoing this sentiment, reports from the Harvard Business School and other elite Ivy League career services in early 2025 indicated that even highly regarded MBA programs are struggling to place graduates into top-tier positions quickly. This suggests a widespread decline in the perceived value of traditional business qualifications.

Majors in the humanities and social sciences, which have historically been less directly linked to specific career paths, have also seen a decrease in popularity. Data from The Harvard Crimson (spanning from 2013 to the present) consistently reports a significant drop in students concentrating in humanities. This reflects a broader shift where both students and employers are gravitating towards STEM and applied disciplines that offer more defined career trajectories. Many of these fields are experiencing a ‘degree reset,’ as highlighted in a 2022 Harvard Business School report, where employers are moving away from general degree requirements and instead seeking candidates with distinct, in-demand skills.

Here are 10 degrees that Harvard research suggests are losing market value:

1. General Business Administration (including MBAs) – The market is saturated, and evolving hiring preferences have reduced the returns on these degrees.
2. Computer Science – While initially lucrative, the fast pace of technological change requires continuous skill updates to stay relevant.
3. Mechanical Engineering – This field is increasingly impacted by automation and the rise of offshore manufacturing.
4. Accounting – Automation and artificial intelligence are predicted to limit long-term job growth.
5. Biochemistry – A highly specialized academic focus often leads to fewer direct career opportunities without further advanced studies.
6. Psychology (undergraduate) – An undergraduate degree in psychology typically offers limited direct career paths without pursuing graduate studies.
7. English and Humanities – Decreased enrollment rates in these areas reflect ongoing uncertainties regarding career prospects.
8. Sociology and Social Sciences – Similar to the humanities, these degrees often lack direct vocational alignment in today’s market.
9. History – Graduates in history often experience lower wage growth in their mid-career compared to other fields.
10. Philosophy – While valuable for developing critical thinking, a philosophy degree is generally less directly marketable in many industries.

What to Study Instead?

Harvard’s research, alongside current labor market predictions, strongly suggests that students should cultivate adaptable, hybrid skill sets. These should ideally blend strong technical proficiency with essential soft skills like creativity and social intelligence.

Consider pursuing these promising fields:

• Interdisciplinary STEM fields that inherently encourage continuous learning.
• Data Science and Analytics – These are high-demand, rapidly expanding, and highly adaptable fields.
• Health Sciences and Allied Health Professions – Sectors with consistently strong labor demand.
• Environmental Science and Sustainability Studies – Crucial and rapidly growing fields addressing pressing global issues.
• Digital Marketing and Media – Careers demanding a blend of creative and technical expertise.
• AI and Machine Learning – At the forefront of technological innovation and development.
• Entrepreneurship with a Technology Focus – This combines sharp business acumen with a drive for innovation.

A 2025 ‘Student Choice’ report further corroborates these findings, identifying engineering, computer science, and nursing as majors offering a strong return on investment. Meanwhile, creative fields continue to hold value when enhanced with emotional intelligence and critical thinking skills.

Harvard’s profound insights clearly illustrate the changing landscape of higher education’s worth. Traditional degrees, once considered guaranteed pathways to success, now necessitate constant skill augmentation and adaptability to remain competitive in the job market. For students making crucial academic decisions, investing in interdisciplinary, technology-driven, and socially pertinent programs significantly boosts their chances for sustained employment and career progression. The college degree itself remains vital, but its definition and the demands placed upon it are undoubtedly evolving. Ultimately, Harvard’s research champions an educational approach that is forward-looking, prioritizes continuous learning, and seamlessly blends both technical prowess and human-centric abilities.