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Most Overpriced College Degrees in 2026

100 programs ranked · Updated 2026

Expensive degrees with poor earnings outcomes. High tuition, low returns.

Programs Ranked

100

Avg Earnings

$20,402/yr

Avg DW Score

29/100

#1 Program

Theater & Drama

Oberlin College

Most Overpriced College Degrees

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

#	Program	DW Score	Earnings	Tuition (4yr)	ROI
1	Theater & Drama Oberlin College · Oberlin, OH	30 25–31	$12,441/yr	-0.5x	$258,584
2	Fine Arts & Studio Art Laguna College of Art and Design · Laguna Beach, CA	34 30–36	$8,482/yr	-0.4x	$142,600
3	Writing & Rhetoric Oberlin College · Oberlin, OH	24 18–28	$15,501/yr	-0.4x	$258,584
4	Apparel and Textiles Rhode Island School of Design · Providence, RI	35 30–38	$14,537/yr	-0.4x	$239,040
5	Dance The Juilliard School · New York, NY	25 22–26	$14,220/yr	-0.4x	$226,200
6	Theater & Drama Skidmore College · Saratoga Springs, NY	30 26–32	$16,417/yr	-0.4x	$260,120
7	History University of Rochester · Rochester, NY	38 33–40	$16,253/yr	-0.4x	$257,392
8	Natural Resources & Conservation Colorado College · Colorado Springs, CO	26 21–29	$17,372/yr	-0.4x	$271,728
9	Theater & Drama Bennington College · Bennington, VT	30 26–32	$16,579/yr	-0.4x	$258,576
10	Ethnic & Cultural Minority Brown University · Providence, RI	21 14–25	$17,527/yr	-0.4x	$272,920
11	Music Johns Hopkins University · Baltimore, MD	30 25–33	$16,479/yr	-0.3x	$253,360
12	Ethnic & Cultural Minority Washington University in St Louis · Saint Louis, MO	21 14–25	$16,635/yr	-0.3x	$251,928
13	Anthropology Syracuse University · Syracuse, NY	35 29–37	$16,844/yr	-0.3x	$252,244
14	International & Global Studies University of Puget Sound · Tacoma, WA	23 20–24	$16,037/yr	-0.3x	$239,600
15	English Language and Literature/Letters Bard College · Annandale-On-Hudson, NY	22 16–24	$17,237/yr	-0.3x	$254,448
16	Theater & Drama University of Puget Sound · Tacoma, WA	30 26–32	$16,310/yr	-0.3x	$239,600
17	Ecology & Evolution St Lawrence University · Canton, NY	29 23–31	$17,443/yr	-0.3x	$255,480
18	Theater & Drama University of Miami · Coral Gables, FL	30 26–32	$16,561/yr	-0.3x	$239,704
19	Literature Bennington College · Bennington, VT	23 16–27	$18,152/yr	-0.3x	$258,576
20	English Furman University · Greenville, SC	26 20–29	$16,583/yr	-0.3x	$233,248
21	Fine Arts & Studio Art Mount Holyoke College · South Hadley, MA	34 30–36	$18,420/yr	-0.3x	$256,568
22	Fine Arts & Studio Art Bard College at Simon's Rock · Great Barrington, MA	34 30–36	$19,327/yr	-0.3x	$266,376
23	Music Syracuse University · Syracuse, NY	31 26–33	$18,574/yr	-0.3x	$252,244
24	Visual & Performing Arts Pacific Northwest College of Art · Portland, OR	28 24–30	$13,895/yr	-0.3x	$188,504
25	Ethnic & Cultural Minority Syracuse University · Syracuse, NY	21 14–25	$18,854/yr	-0.3x	$252,244
26	Biology Pepperdine University · Malibu, CA	33 28–35	$20,031/yr	-0.2x	$266,968
27	Fine Arts & Studio Art Bard College · Annandale-On-Hudson, NY	34 30–36	$19,327/yr	-0.2x	$254,448
28	English Oberlin College · Oberlin, OH	27 20–30	$19,734/yr	-0.2x	$258,584
29	Publishing Susquehanna University · Selinsgrove, PA	21 15–25	$17,585/yr	-0.2x	$229,600
30	Anthropology Mount Holyoke College · South Hadley, MA	35 29–37	$19,655/yr	-0.2x	$256,568
31	Fine Arts & Studio Art Grinnell College · Grinnell, IA	35 30–36	$20,111/yr	-0.2x	$259,448
32	Human Biology Johns Hopkins University · Baltimore, MD	25 21–27	$19,916/yr	-0.2x	$253,360
33	Writing & Rhetoric Pratt Institute-Main · Brooklyn, NY	25 18–28	$18,842/yr	-0.2x	$238,732
34	English Carleton College · Northfield, MN	27 21–30	$20,780/yr	-0.2x	$261,828
35	Sociology Hobart William Smith Colleges · Geneva, NY	34 29–36	$20,228/yr	-0.2x	$253,072
36	Visual & Performing Arts Bennington College · Bennington, VT	29 24–31	$20,809/yr	-0.2x	$258,576
37	Sociology and Anthropology University of Puget Sound · Tacoma, WA	32 27–35	$19,495/yr	-0.2x	$239,600
38	Film & Photography Drexel University · Philadelphia, PA	26 21–29	$19,758/yr	-0.2x	$242,652
39	Education University of Puget Sound · Tacoma, WA	23 17–26	$20,039/yr	-0.2x	$239,600
40	Area Studies Vassar College · Poughkeepsie, NY	23 18–26	$22,741/yr	-0.2x	$271,220
41	Communications & Media Studies Vassar College · Poughkeepsie, NY	30 24–33	$23,270/yr	-0.1x	$271,220
42	Natural Resources & Conservation Pitzer College · Claremont, CA	27 22–30	$21,570/yr	-0.1x	$250,768
43	Public Health Muhlenberg College · Allentown, PA	39 32–41	$20,900/yr	-0.1x	$240,960
44	Communications & Media Studies Brown University · Providence, RI	30 24–33	$23,738/yr	-0.1x	$272,920
45	Dance American Musical and Dramatic Academy · New York, NY	25 22–26	$15,881/yr	-0.1x	$182,240
46	Germanic Languages & Literatures University of Puget Sound · Tacoma, WA	28 22–31	$20,916/yr	-0.1x	$239,600
47	Biology Oberlin College · Oberlin, OH	34 29–36	$22,684/yr	-0.1x	$258,584
48	Music Stevens Institute of Technology · Hoboken, NJ	31 26–34	$21,623/yr	-0.1x	$243,808
49	Social Sciences, Other Mount Holyoke College · South Hadley, MA	33 30–35	$22,829/yr	-0.1x	$256,568
50	Political Science Sacred Heart University · Fairfield, CT	37 31–39	$17,262/yr	-0.1x	$193,840
51	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Syracuse University · Syracuse, NY	28 22–30	$22,693/yr	-0.1x	$252,244
52	Writing & Rhetoric Cornell College · Mount Vernon, IA	25 18–28	$18,241/yr	-0.1x	$202,536
53	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology University of Miami · Coral Gables, FL	27 22–29	$21,666/yr	-0.1x	$239,704
54	Philosophy John Carroll University · University Heights, OH	22 15–26	$17,813/yr	-0.1x	$196,400
55	Music University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA	30 25–33	$12,947/yr	-0.1x	$272,948
56	Film & Photography Oberlin College · Oberlin, OH	27 22–30	$23,519/yr	-0.1x	$258,584
57	Chemistry University of Richmond · University of Richmond, VA	39 33–41	$22,881/yr	-0.1x	$250,400
58	Social Sciences, General Bard College · Annandale-On-Hudson, NY	42 37–44	$23,302/yr	-0.1x	$254,448
59	Neuroscience Barnard College · New York, NY	27 22–30	$24,569/yr	-0.1x	$264,984
60	Writing & Rhetoric University of Puget Sound · Tacoma, WA	25 19–29	$22,251/yr	-0.1x	$239,600
61	English Occidental College · Los Angeles, CA	27 21–31	$23,605/yr	-0.1x	$253,784
62	Dance University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA	27 24–28	$25,653/yr	-0.1x	$272,948
63	Dance Berklee College of Music · Boston, MA	26 23–27	$22,993/yr	-0.1x	$201,080
64	Visual and Performing Arts, Other Elon University · Elon, NC	23 19–26	$18,903/yr	-0.0x	$178,144
65	Dance Pace University · New York, NY	25 22–26	$19,614/yr	-0.0x	$205,696
66	Linguistic & Comparative Reed College · Portland, OR	30 24–33	$25,561/yr	-0.0x	$268,080
67	Biology Reed College · Portland, OR	35 30–37	$25,596/yr	-0.0x	$268,080
68	Natural Resources & Conservation Luther College · Decorah, IA	27 21–29	$19,239/yr	-0.0x	$201,280
69	Software Development Berklee College of Music · Boston, MA	39 30–42	$19,370/yr	-0.0x	$201,080
70	Romance Languages & Literatures Centre College · Danville, KY	27 22–31	$19,503/yr	-0.0x	$202,200
71	Sociology and Anthropology Lewis & Clark College · Portland, OR	33 28–36	$24,098/yr	-0.0x	$249,400
72	Sociology Vassar College · Poughkeepsie, NY	36 31–38	$26,356/yr	-0.0x	$271,220
73	Natural Resources & Conservation University of Puget Sound · Tacoma, WA	28 22–30	$23,437/yr	-0.0x	$239,600
74	Neuroscience University of Notre Dame · Notre Dame, IN	28 22–30	$24,615/yr	-0.0x	$250,772
75	Writing & Rhetoric Syracuse University · Syracuse, NY	26 20–29	$24,935/yr	-0.0x	$252,244
76	Political Science Iona University · New Rochelle, NY	37 31–40	$18,148/yr	-0.0x	$183,520
77	Graphic Design Lynn University · Boca Raton, FL	19 15–22	$17,099/yr	-0.0x	$171,800
78	Nutrition Sciences New York University · New York, NY	29 24–31	$24,084/yr	-0.0x	$241,752
79	Anthropology Eckerd College · Saint Petersburg, FL	35 29–37	$20,191/yr	0.0x	$201,496
80	Science, Technology and Society Vassar College · Poughkeepsie, NY	29 26–30	$27,215/yr	0.0x	$271,220
81	Graphic Design Cleveland Institute of Art · Cleveland, OH	20 16–22	$19,409/yr	0.0x	$191,520
82	Ethnic & Cultural Minority DePaul University · Chicago, IL	21 14–25	$18,029/yr	0.0x	$177,840
83	Music California Lutheran University · Thousand Oaks, CA	31 26–33	$20,650/yr	0.0x	$202,680
84	Physics New York University · New York, NY	30 25–33	$24,802/yr	0.0x	$241,752
85	Journalism Widener University · Chester, PA	25 18–28	$22,058/yr	0.0x	$214,552
86	Film & Photography Calvin University · Grand Rapids, MI	26 21–28	$15,906/yr	0.0x	$154,680
87	English Ursinus College · Collegeville, PA	28 22–31	$24,373/yr	0.0x	$236,784
88	Romance Languages & Literatures Susquehanna University · Selinsgrove, PA	28 23–31	$23,699/yr	0.0x	$229,600
89	Anthropology Boston University · Boston, MA	37 32–40	$26,934/yr	0.0x	$260,672
90	Social Sciences, General Whittier College · Whittier, CA	42 37–44	$20,660/yr	0.0x	$199,456
91	Film & Photography Syracuse University · Syracuse, NY	28 23–31	$26,331/yr	0.0x	$252,244
92	Public Health Baylor University · Waco, TX	40 33–41	$23,096/yr	0.1x	$219,376
93	Neuroscience Saint Louis University · Saint Louis, MO	27 21–29	$22,459/yr	0.1x	$212,976
94	Anthropology DePaul University · Chicago, IL	35 29–37	$18,950/yr	0.1x	$177,840
95	Ethnic & Cultural Minority University of Puget Sound · Tacoma, WA	23 16–27	$25,623/yr	0.1x	$239,600
96	Education Boston University · Boston, MA	26 20–29	$27,891/yr	0.1x	$260,672
97	Research and Experimental Psychology Albion College · Albion, MI	41 35–42	$23,906/yr	0.1x	$222,984
98	Natural Resources & Conservation Stetson University · DeLand, FL	28 22–30	$23,790/yr	0.1x	$220,880
99	History Villanova University · Villanova, PA	41 36–44	$27,882/yr	0.1x	$258,804
100	Visual & Performing Arts Northeastern University · Boston, MA	31 27–33	$27,246/yr	0.1x	$252,564

Methodology

Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score (0–100), combining graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and tuition ROI. Earnings data is from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Last updated 2025.