Published on October 13, 2025
Delhi, India
In an era where AI automates jobs and employers prioritize skills over credentials, Harvard University is sounding the alarm: Not all college degrees deliver lifelong returns. Drawing from a landmark 2020 study by Harvard labor economist David J. Deming and researcher Kadeem Noray, updated with 2025 market analyses, the research reveals how even “hot” majors see their earnings premium erode rapidly. As automation reshapes industries, traditional paths like business and engineering face oversaturation and obsolescence. A 2025 Student Choice report echoes this, showing strong ROI for adaptable fields while humanities and narrow STEM specialties lag. For students eyeing college majors losing value, the message is clear: Adaptability trumps legacy degrees. This article breaks down Harvard’s flagged majors, reasons for decline, and pathways to future-proof education.
Background: Harvard’s Research on Earnings Premiums and Market Shifts
Harvard’s warnings stem from data-driven studies tracking graduate outcomes amid technological upheaval. The 2020 Deming-Noray paper analyzed U.S. labor trends, finding that technology-intensive majors lose up to 50% of their initial salary edge within a decade due to “worker sorting” into unstable roles. Early 2025 reports from Harvard Business School and Ivy League career centers highlight intensified competition, with even elite MBAs struggling for top placements amid layoffs in tech and finance.
- Key Driver: AI and Automation: Tools like generative AI are displacing routine tasks, hitting fields reliant on predictable skills.
- Enrollment Trends: The Harvard Crimson surveys (2013–2025) show a 30% drop in humanities concentrators, as students flock to vocational paths.
- Broader Context: NEP 2020-inspired global reforms emphasize interdisciplinary learning, but U.S.-centric data reveals a “degree reset,” per Harvard’s 2022 report, where 70% of employers now favor demonstrable skills over diplomas.
- Quote from Deming: “The earnings premium for graduates majoring in technology-intensive subjects declines rapidly over time as workers sort out of faster-changing occupations.”
This isn’t about devaluing education—college grads still earn 66% more mid-career than non-grads—but about choosing majors with staying power.
The 10 Majors Losing Value: Harvard’s Red Flags
Harvard identifies these degrees as vulnerable due to factors like skill obsolescence, market saturation, and limited versatility. While initial salaries may shine, long-term ROI fades without upskilling. Below, key reasons backed by 2025 trends:
- General Business Administration (Including MBAs): Oversaturated with 500,000+ annual U.S. grads; early 2025 Ivy reports show 20% longer job searches for elite programs amid corporate belt-tightening.
- Computer Science: Rapid evolution outpaces curricula; 2025 tech layoffs (e.g., 100,000+ at Big Tech) erode premiums, with Deming’s study noting a 40% drop in 10-year earnings stability.
- Mechanical Engineering: Automation and offshoring shrink demand; BLS 2025 data projects only 3% growth vs. 8% for interdisciplinary engineering.
- Accounting: AI handles 70% of routine audits; entry-level roles down 15% per 2025 labor stats, pushing grads toward niche certifications.
- Biochemistry: Narrow lab focus limits jobs; only 60% secure field-specific roles within a year, per NSF 2025 surveys, favoring broader biosciences.
- Psychology (Undergraduate): Requires grad school for viability; 2025 underemployment hits 45%, with vague career paths deterring employers.
- English and Humanities: Enrollment plunged 25% since 2010; Harvard Crimson data shows mid-career wages 20% below STEM averages, despite critical thinking perks.
- Sociology and Social Sciences: Loose job alignment; 2025 reports indicate 35% pivot to unrelated fields, lacking immediate ROI.
- History: Lowest wage premiums among social sciences; BLS notes stagnant 4% growth, with grads earning 15% less than peers in applied majors.
- Philosophy: Valued for logic but not livelihoods; only 25% land philosophy-aligned jobs, per 2025 AAC&U data, needing hybrids for market fit.
These majors aren’t “worthless”—they build soft skills—but in a skills-first economy, they demand supplements like certifications.
Challenges: Why These Majors Are Fading Fast
The decline ties to systemic shifts, amplifying risks for students in college majors losing value:
- Oversupply vs. Demand: Fields like business produce grads faster than jobs grow, per 2025 Burning Glass Institute data.
- Skill Obsolescence: AI automates 30% of tasks in tech/engineering by 2030, per McKinsey, forcing constant retraining.
- Economic Pressures: Rising tuition (average $40,000/year) vs. stagnant wages in humanities (median $50,000 mid-career).
- Equity Gaps: Low-income and minority students over-index in vulnerable majors, widening wealth divides.
- Global Trends: Similar patterns in India/EU, with NEP 2020 pushing vocational pivots.
As one expert notes, “Legacy degrees are no longer foolproof”—a call for proactive choices.
Emerging Alternatives: High-ROI Majors for 2025 and Beyond
Harvard recommends interdisciplinary, adaptable paths blending tech with human skills. The 2025 Student Choice report ranks these for resilience:
- Data Science and Analytics: 35% job growth; versatile across industries, with $120,000 median salaries.
- Health Sciences and Allied Professions: Aging populations drive 16% expansion; nursing/therapy roles yield 90% employment rates.
- Environmental Science and Sustainability: Urgent climate needs fuel 8% growth; hybrids with policy/tech command premiums.
- Digital Marketing and Media: AI-resistant creativity; 10% rise in roles blending content with analytics.
- AI and Machine Learning: Explosive 40% demand; focuses on ethical innovation for sustained edges.
- Entrepreneurship with Tech Focus: Builds innovation; startups from these grads secure 25% more funding.
Comparison Table: Declining vs. Rising Majors (2025 Projections)
| Category | Declining Major Example | ROI Risk (10-Year Earnings Drop) | Rising Alternative | Projected Growth (BLS 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business/Tech | General MBA | High (20-30%) | AI/ML Specialization | 40% |
| Engineering/STEM | Mechanical Engineering | Medium (15-25%) | Data Science | 35% |
| Health/Sciences | Biochemistry | Medium (10-20%) | Allied Health Professions | 16% |
| Humanities/Social | English/History | High (20-40%) | Sustainability Studies | 8% |
| Creative/Applied | Psychology | High (25-35%) | Digital Marketing | 10% |
These shifts prioritize “hybrid” education for 75% better long-term outcomes.
Implementation Roadmap: How Students Can Pivot
To counter college majors losing value:
- Assess Early: Use tools like BLS Occupational Outlook or Harvard’s major explorer for ROI projections.
- Build Hybrids: Pair majors with minors/certifications (e.g., CS + ethics).
- Upskill Continuously: Platforms like Coursera offer AI-era courses; aim for 1-2 annually.
- Seek Guidance: Consult career centers; 2025 Ivy data shows advised students 40% more likely to adapt.
- Timeline: Freshmen: Explore broadly. Juniors: Intern in growth fields. Seniors: Network via LinkedIn for hybrid roles.
Challenges like debt ($1.7 trillion U.S. total) persist, but flexible paths mitigate risks.
