All labor groups have faced increased unemployment last year, with young workers bearing the brunt. Some majors were more impacted than others.

Liberal arts and fine arts majors typically face the highest unemployment rates, though computer engineers have recently joined their ranks.

A college degree used to mean better job prospects than workers without one, even right out of school. That seems no longer to be the case.

Over the last few years, the unemployment rate for recent college graduates was significantly higher than that for all workers, according to Federal Reserve Bank of New York data. However, some graduates fared better than others.

Thirty-seven majors had unemployment rates lower than the average for recent graduates, according to the most recent major-specific data. The surprise among them: computer engineering and computer science, where AI has thinned entry-level hiring.

Graduates with higher unemployment rates struggle more to repay student debt. Knowing which major has the best labor outcome can help them get the best return on their investment.

College Majors With a Higher Unemployment Rate Than All Workers

College Major

Unemployment Rate

Anthropology

7.90%

Computer Engineering

7.80%

Fine Arts

7.70%

Performing Arts

7.00%

Computer Science

7.00%

Architecture

6.80%

Art History

6.70%

Physics

6.60%

Early Childhood Education

6.60%

Environmental Studies

6.30%

Medical Technicians

6.20%

International Affairs

6.10%

English Language

6.10%

Information Systems & Management

6.00%

Mathematics

5.80%

Commercial Art & Graphic Design

5.70%

Advertising and Public Relations

5.70%

Pharmacy

5.60%

Mass Media

5.20%

Philosophy

5.10%

Psychology

5.00%

Business Analytics

5.00%

Ethnic Studies

4.90%

Chemical Engineering

4.70%

Sociology

4.60%

Political Science

4.50%

Nutrition Sciences

4.50%

General Engineering

4.50%

Miscellaneous Biological Science

4.40%

Mechanical Engineering

4.40%

Marketing

4.40%

History

4.30%

General Business

4.30%

Family and Consumer Sciences

4.30%

Chemistry

4.30%

Biology

4.30%

Industrial Engineering

4.20%

The plight of young graduates wasn't always like this. In 2018 and years prior, the unemployment rate for recent college graduates was consistently lower than that of all workers. The pattern reversed in 2019. By late 2020, that flipped, and it's been that way since.

Data on unemployment levels in 2025 for specific majors isn't available yet, but broader figures show unemployment among young workers continued to worsen:

Unemployment Rates In December 2024 Compared To December 2025

December 2024

December 2025

Percentage Point Change

Young workers without a bachelor's degree

6.8%

7.8%

+1.0

Recent college-graduated workers

4.8%

5.6%

+0.8

College-graduated workers

2.6%

3.1%

+0.5

All workers

4%

4.2%

+0.2

All labor groups have faced worsening unemployment rates. Experts mainly attribute the rise to two forces: a hiring slowdown driven by President Donald Trump's tariffs and AI replacing some entry-level jobs.

Young workers without a bachelor's degree were hit hard. Their unemployment rate increased by 1 percentage point from December 2024 to December 2025. Recent college graduates are second, increasing by 0.8 percentage points.

To compare, between December 2023 and December 2024, the unemployment rate for young workers without a bachelor's degree grew by 0.2 percentage points, and the rate for recent college graduates decreased by 0.1 percentage points.

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