During these lousy economic times, many students are struggling to figure out what would be the most lucrative degree. But others are still pursuing degrees that are not known to “roll in the dough,” so to speak. Payscale.com, a large survey database with information on employee salary data, collected survey data for full-time employees in the United States who hold a Bachelor’s degree to determine majors that lead to jobs that earn the most meager paychecks.

1 Social Work

Starting Salary: $33,400

Mid-Career: $42,000

Although this degree is dedicated to helping the less fortunate, the people in this job field often are not the most financially fortunate themselves.

Stephanie Cooper, Overland Park senior, decided about a year ago to switch to social work. She says she had been switching majors and couldn't seem to find something she enjoyed.

“All I have ever wanted to do is help as many people as I can, and make a difference in someone’s life,” Cooper says.

Cooper says she is aware that her major is not as economically beneficial as most, but she's decided that paycheck size is not the most important thing about a particular job.

“I love going to work every day knowing that I could possibly change someone’s life, and that is what matters,” she says.

2 Elementary Education

Starting Salary: $33,000

Mid-Career: $42,000

Shannon Tygard, Leawood senior, is graduating in May with an elementary education degree. She says that money doesn't matter to her, but her love for kids does.

Her advice for a student looking to pursue this degree? “Make sure it is really what you want to do," she says. "Being a teacher is a hard job and requires a lot of patience and love.”

3 Music

Starting Salary: $34,000

Mid-Career: $42,000

Music is a major that contains a lot of talent. But will talent help you in today’s economy? Not necessarily.

Lucas Homer, Overland Park junior, is aware of the economic risks but still decided to pursue a minor in music. Now an American Studies major, he still believes that his one passion — jazz music — is beneficial. Homer says that a major is what you make it. “In the end, it’s how you market yourself and use the resources your major offers to prepare you for the career you are going for,” Homer says.

4 Theology

Starting Salary: $34,800

Mid-Career: $51,500

With the interesting range of classes that this degree has to offer, such as history and critical analysis of major religions, Mike Quick, Hinsdale, Ill., senior, had a hard time passing it up. Quick says he recognized his classes were unrealistic in terms of finding a economically friendly job once he started enrolling in the courses, so he decided he would also pursue a degree in English.

“I am really interested in being a screen writer," Quick says. “The courses apply to subjects I’m interested in writing about so it made the choice of pursuing the major fairly easy.”

Quick believes that finding a degree should be less about economic benefits, and more about want. He says college "is the time to pursue your interests.”

5 Spanish

Starting Salary: $35,600

Mid-Career: $52,000

In a country with so many Spanish speakers, it may seem odd to think that such a major could not be as successful economically as others.

Stephanie Koch, 2009 graduate, says a Spanish degree can be beneficial if a student uses it as a bilingual tool — a marketable asset to help the student stand out as an applicant for a job. Koch, for example, is perusing a career in medicine, which she thinks will be greatly helped by her langauage skills as a Spanish graduate. “People who speak Spanish are a precious commodity," she says.

Yes, there is hope

In this economy, it is difficult for anyone to find an economically beneficial degree. Megan Hill, associate director of the University Career Center, says that she suspects the salaries for careers in these fields are lower than in fields such as financial services or engineering because there are more people with these degrees than there are organizations that need them. However, Hill says that using the University Career Center will truly benefit these students. She says she can also help them to think outside of the box in terms of employers who might be a good fit for them that perhaps they hadn't thought about before. And, most importantly, she says she would encourage these students not to give up and to keep an open mind. Persistence is key in finding meaningful employment no matter what field or industry you want to work in.

Hill also has a positive outlook on these grim statistics. “One of these days this economy is going to turn around and salaries will rise," she says. "We all just have to hang in there in the meantime.”