History: CUNY Lehman College vs University of Pennsylvania

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
In-State
17.8x
$29,640 tuition
2.8x
$264,416 tuition
Out-of-State
8.6x
$61,440 tuition
2.8x
$264,416 tuition
$528,410 10-yr earnings · Public
$732,659 10-yr earnings · Private nonprofit

Head-to-Head

CUNY Lehman College University of Pennsylvania
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 17.8x 2.8x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 8.6x 2.8x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $29,640 $264,416
Year 1 Earnings $43,874 $48,555
10-Year Earnings $528K $733K
Median Debt $12,897 $10,000
Debt-to-Earnings Ratio 3.5 months 2.5 months
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 62/100 45/100
Acceptance Rate 55.4% 5.9%

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.

CUNY Lehman College University of Pennsylvania
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $29,640 $264,416
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $61,440 $264,416
10-Year Projected Earnings $528K $733K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 17.8x 2.8x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 8.6x 2.8x
5-Year Salary Growth +25% +80%

"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.

CUNY Lehman College University of Pennsylvania
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $532K $528K $491K $758K $733K $648K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 18.0x 17.8x 16.6x 2.9x 2.8x 2.5x
DegreeWorth Score 63 62 58 47 45 40

For the full AI analysis of History career paths, see the CUNY Lehman College or University of Pennsylvania program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

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

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$234,776
CUNY Lehman College saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$4,681/yr
University of Pennsylvania grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
17.8x / 2.8x
Out-of-state: 8.6x / 2.8x

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%
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History Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for History: CUNY Lehman College or University of Pennsylvania?
CUNY Lehman College scores 62/100 while University of Pennsylvania scores 45/100. CUNY Lehman College 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?
CUNY Lehman College has an in-state earnings multiple of 17.8x vs University of Pennsylvania's 2.8x. That means CUNY Lehman College grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition. The $234,776 tuition gap is the biggest driver of this difference.
How do CUNY Lehman College and University of Pennsylvania compare on History earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $43,874 at CUNY Lehman College vs $48,555 at University of Pennsylvania. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $528,410 vs $732,659 — a difference of $204,249.
How much does History cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $29,640 at CUNY Lehman College and $264,416 at University of Pennsylvania. Median debt at graduation is $12,897 vs $10,000. 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.