History: Amherst College vs California State University-Northridge

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
Amherst College
Amherst, MA
In-State
4.9x
$269,120 tuition
18.5x
$28,380 tuition
Out-of-State
4.9x
$269,120 tuition
6.9x
$75,900 tuition
$1,325,630 10-yr earnings · Private nonprofit
$524,823 10-yr earnings · Public

Head-to-Head

Amherst College California State University-Northridge
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 4.9x 18.5x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 4.9x 6.9x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $269,120 $28,380
Year 1 Earnings $56,444 $37,031
10-Year Earnings $1,326K $525K
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 52/100 58/100
Acceptance Rate 9.8% 93.2%

Both programs have high AI automation risk (44% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to History graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →

ROI Breakdown

How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for History graduates.

Amherst College California State University-Northridge
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $269,120 $28,380
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $269,120 $75,900
10-Year Projected Earnings $1,326K $525K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 4.9x 18.5x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 4.9x 6.9x
5-Year Salary Growth +181% +41%

"Earnings Multiple" = projected 10-year earnings ÷ 4-year tuition. Higher is better. Not a discounted financial ROI.

AI Disruption Scenarios

Both schools share identical AI exposure for History (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

Amherst College California State University-Northridge
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $1,415K $1,326K $1,104K $528K $525K $488K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 5.3x 4.9x 4.1x 18.6x 18.5x 17.2x
DegreeWorth Score 54 52 47 59 58 56

For the full AI analysis of History career paths, see the Amherst College or California State University-Northridge program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

Projected annual earnings for History graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$240,740
California State University-Northridge saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$19,413/yr
Amherst College grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
4.9x / 18.5x
Out-of-state: 4.9x / 6.9x

Career Paths

History graduates from both schools map to the same career paths. Differences in earnings reflect school prestige, location, and employer networks.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Natural sciences managers $161,180 8,500 +3.7% 50%
Managers, all other $136,550 106,700 +4.5% 47%
History teachers, postsecondary $81,500 1,700 -0.2% 51%
Historians $74,050 300 +2.2% 47%
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education $64,580 66,200 -1.6% 33%
Curators $61,770 1,800 +7.0% 50%
Archivists $61,570 1,100 +3.8% 50%
Museum technicians and conservators $47,460 1,900 +5.4% 24%
Want to compare different schools or majors? Try the freeform comparison tool →

Explore Each Program

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History Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for History: Amherst College or California State University-Northridge?
Amherst College scores 52/100 while California State University-Northridge scores 58/100. California State University-Northridge has significantly lower tuition, which drives its higher ROI. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize raw earnings or return on investment.
Which school has better ROI for History?
Amherst College has an in-state earnings multiple of 4.9x vs California State University-Northridge's 18.5x. That means California State University-Northridge grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition. The $240,740 tuition gap is the biggest driver of this difference.
How do Amherst College and California State University-Northridge compare on History earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $56,444 at Amherst College vs $37,031 at California State University-Northridge. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $1,325,630 vs $524,823 — a difference of $800,807.
How much does History cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $269,120 at Amherst College and $28,380 at California State University-Northridge. Both programs lead to the same History career paths — the cost difference is the main factor in ROI.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.