These Are the College Degrees People End Up Regretting

Area studies appeals to students who are fascinated by a specific region, such as Latin America, East Asia, the Middle East, Africa, or Europe. They may study history, politics, culture, religion, economics, and language while imagining careers in diplomacy, global nonprofits, intelligence, journalism, academia, or international business.

Regret can appear when the degree is too academic without enough professional specialization. Knowing a region is valuable, but many jobs expect language fluency, policy experience, security knowledge, business training, or graduate study. Without those additions, graduates may understand a part of the world deeply but still struggle to turn it into work.