Why do people choose college majors that produce low financial yields, yet choose to get into debt for it?

Some people are motivated by passion and education rather than future income.

Because most people believe that college is not a trade school and the purpose of knowledge and education is to make you a better person, not to produce hard financial results in the medium term. There is a benefit to society of having widespread education and understanding. The Art, Science, Literature, and Philosophy of a culture lives LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF YEARS after the last factory crumbles to dust.

They're interested in their majors.

You don't seem aware that the liberal arts include the sciences and social sciences.

Many employers are willing to consider applicants from a variety of majors. My first post-college job had absolutely nothing to do with my major, but I was hired and also offered a great promotion after only a year. Since I did want to work in my major field, I eventually went back to school for a PhD, but despite my humanities major, I was on track to a very good career in academic administration.

Oh, and I had very little loan debt, because my Ivy League university, like all elite schools, awarded extremely generous financial aid.

The fact is the liberal arts teach critical and analytical thinking and creative skills that are extremely valuable, and employers know it. Last year, Forbes published an article stating that the hottest degree in the tech field was a liberal arts degree. Turns out that the engineers and computer scientists are lacking certain important skills that the marketing and other departments really need.

By the way, dear, you DO know that very few undergraduate degrees, including those in the sciences, lead directly to careers in those fields? You don't think you can major in Biology and become a biologist right out of college? You need a PhD. That's true of almost ALL majors.

first and foremost- no education is useless or worthless -> that is the type of mentality that keeps society from progressing.

HOWEVER it is more than likely you will be left in a lot of debt (considering this is the great United States of America), and student loan debt is the only type of debt that does not disappear after you file for bankruptcy (because, reasons).

Many people choose to better themselves as people by receiving higher levels of education. Instead of labeling their decisions as "stupid" they should be commended for broadening societies overall education- both in various fields and overall quality of education.

When people are 17 or 18, they typically don't pay much attention to the future consequences of present decisions. That is to say, a lot of people will major in, lets say art history, which granted, may be more pleasant in the immediate short run than a major in engineering or economics. But since they didn't have the foresight to realize the consequences, student loan debt soon catches up with their unemployable degree, killing their credit score and drastically affecting future quality of adult life. Plan ahead, kids.

Because people are making this decision when they're 17 or 18, before they understand how the world works.
Some students are under the impression that if a job exists somewhere, then all they need is a degree in this field and they're good to go.
By the time they realize their mistake, they have a degree in art history, criminal justice, anthropology or whatever and nothing to show for it aside from debt.
It's not even really their fault.

It can produce jobs and careers.

They are more focused on what they like then what is reasonable.

Some people's objective is self-fulfillment rather than making a lot of money.

The liberal arts include math, science, computer science, and economics - some of the highest paying majors with the best job opportunities. And not everyone is like you (fortunately). They like different things. Any major can lead to a high paying job if that's what your ultimate goal is. Most people are not driven solely by money.

they're just stupid

Because a liberal arts degree is useless. Most haven't the brain to be engineers or doctors. Hell, you can be a truck driver for 3 grand and be making 75 k a year. Now those same people after the reality sets in, Expect us to pay for their ignorance.

Because many of them do not have the mindset for a high return major and want an easy one. They fall for the stuff that other people here have said that no major is useless, critical thinking, yada, yada, yada.

The other thing is that they fail to do their research and they take what they like instead of what they need.

The hard facts are that some majors have a far higher chance at high financial returns than others. I know several people with a Poli Sci major and none of them got jobs any better they could have with just a high school education and a 3 year hitch in the armed services.

That said, my daughter did get a degree in political science but only as a double major paired with economics. She was just an econ major but her school told her if she took 3 extra courses they would toss in poli sci as a second major. However she took her masters in Technology Management and has her PhD in civil engineering. She has her dream job as a Transportation analyst. At age 28 she makes more money that an average arts graduate makes in an annual salary late int heir career and she and her husband, who already own a home are looking to invest in more real estate to invest the money they are banking.

Myself as a 64 year old electronics engineer was broke at age 49 because of a divorce and while I have missed my goal as millionaire status I still made it over half of the way.

Many say that money does not buy happiness and that is true it does not. But it definitely rents a much more comfortable misery.