Liberal-arts grads regret majors as pay gaps persist; nursing offers strongest early payoff

A ZipRecruiter survey of about 3,000 graduates (class of 2025 and spring grads) finds roughly 20% regret their majors, with political science, international relations, or public policy highest (46.3%), followed by communications/media studies/public relations (39.2%). About one-third of physical-science majors also regret their choice. The job market remains tight for entry-level roles, and earnings are often lower than expected: pay for public health/health administration is about 43.8% below expectations, and for agriculture/environmental science or English/literature/journalism roughly 30% lower. Nursing grads fare best, with nearly one-third landing a job before graduation and a median starting salary around $70,000, while healthcare jobs continue to drive payroll gains.