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History Degree

389 schools compared · Average earnings $32,281/yr

Students study past events, civilizations, and social movements through primary source analysis, historiography, and critical interpretation of how the past shapes the present. Graduates typically pursue careers in education, museum curation, archival management, government, law, journalism, and public history, or continue to graduate school or law school. History majors develop exceptional research, writing, and analytical skills that employers across many industries value highly.

What History Graduates Do

Forget the stereotypes; a history degree prepares you for a surprisingly broad range of careers. Many graduates land in management, where your day-to-day involves using research and analytical skills to guide team strategy and make data-backed decisions. You might start as a project coordinator or analyst before advancing to oversee entire departments.

Other paths lead to education and cultural heritage. As a secondary school teacher, you’ll do more than lecture; you’ll design lessons connecting the past to the present and moderate lively classroom debates. In the museum world, you could begin as a technician helping catalog artifacts, later becoming a curator who pieces together historical evidence for public exhibits. While these cultural heritage roles are growing, they are competitive and often require a master's degree; in contrast, secondary teaching positions face market headwinds.

AI will not replace you, but it will become your tool. With moderate exposure, AI will automate routine tasks like document transcription or initial data synthesis. This shifts your focus toward the skills a machine can’t replicate: interpreting complex findings, crafting nuanced arguments, and telling the compelling human stories that data alone can't convey.

Schools Offering

389

Avg Grad Earnings

$32,281/yr

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

41/100

AI Automation Risk

High

50% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where History graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 188,200 combined openings per year.

Career Path	Salary Range	Openings/yr	Growth	AI Risk
Natural sciences managers	$161,180 $114K$215K	8,500	+3.7%	50%
Managers, all other	$136,550 $100K$179K	106,700	+4.5%	47%
History teachers, postsecondary	$81,500 $62K$107K	1,700	-0.2%	51%
Historians	$74,050 $55K$96K	300	+2.2%	47%
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education	$64,580 $58K$83K	66,200	-1.6%	33%
Curators	$61,770 $47K$81K	1,800	+7.0%	50%
Archivists	$61,570 $48K$80K	1,100	+3.8%	50%
Museum technicians and conservators	$47,460 $37K$63K	1,900	+5.4%	24%

Natural sciences managers

$161,180

$114K $215K

8,500 openings/yr +3.7% growth 50% AI risk

Managers, all other

$136,550

$100K $179K

106,700 openings/yr +4.5% growth 47% AI risk

History teachers, postsecondary

$81,500

$62K $107K

1,700 openings/yr -0.2% growth 51% AI risk

Historians

$74,050

$55K $96K

300 openings/yr +2.2% growth 47% AI risk

Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education

$64,580

$58K $83K

66,200 openings/yr -1.6% growth 33% AI risk

Curators

$61,770

$47K $81K

1,800 openings/yr +7.0% growth 50% AI risk

Archivists

$61,570

$48K $80K

1,100 openings/yr +3.8% growth 50% AI risk

Museum technicians and conservators

$47,460

$37K $63K

1,900 openings/yr +5.4% growth 24% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Best Schools for History

Top 20 of 389 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

#	School	DW Score	Earnings	ROI
1	Amherst College Amherst, MA	65 60–65	$56,444/yr	4.9x
2	University of Houston-Clear Lake Houston, TX	64 59–64	$57,239/yr	15.7x
3	Brigham Young University Provo, UT	62 59–62	$38,643/yr	23.8x
4	CUNY Lehman College Bronx, NY	61 57–61	$43,874/yr	17.5x
5	Dartmouth College Hanover, NH	60 55–60	$61,127/yr	2.6x
6	Nevada State University Henderson, NV	60 56–61	$50,149/yr	18.7x
7	University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA	59 57–60	$38,226/yr	26.8x
8	Harvard University Cambridge, MA	58 54–59	$53,468/yr	3.0x
9	Duke University Durham, NC	57 52–57	$60,750/yr	2.3x
10	The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX	57 53–58	$44,806/yr	11.2x
11	Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC	56 52–57	$42,712/yr	10.8x
12	University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Whitewater, WI	56 53–57	$40,807/yr	15.0x
13	University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD	55 51–55	$42,020/yr	11.0x
14	University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney, NE	55 52–56	$39,340/yr	14.9x
15	The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX	55 53–56	$37,450/yr	11.0x
16	University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA	54 49–54	$48,555/yr	2.3x
17	University of Massachusetts-Boston Boston, MA	54 49–54	$46,908/yr	7.9x
18	Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN	54 49–54	$46,856/yr	2.4x
19	University of Houston Houston, TX	54 52–55	$39,240/yr	13.1x
20	University of Houston-Downtown Houston, TX	54 52–55	$37,246/yr	16.4x
21	California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA	54 52–55	$37,031/yr	17.5x
22	University of Wyoming Laramie, WY	54 52–54	$35,450/yr	18.3x
23	Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC	54 53–55	$34,909/yr	26.8x
24	Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA	53 49–53	$42,543/yr	6.7x
25	Towson University Towson, MD	53 50–53	$40,162/yr	10.9x
26	Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY	53 51–54	$36,426/yr	13.0x
27	Fitchburg State University Fitchburg, MA	52 48–53	$46,184/yr	9.5x
28	Cornell University Ithaca, NY	52 48–53	$44,706/yr	2.4x
29	Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX	52 49–53	$42,899/yr	9.3x
30	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, OK	52 50–53	$39,604/yr	12.3x
31	Troy University Troy, AL	52 50–53	$39,591/yr	12.2x
32	Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX	52 50–53	$38,687/yr	10.9x
33	SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY	52 50–53	$36,625/yr	14.2x
34	University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI	52 50–52	$35,959/yr	12.0x
35	University of West Georgia Carrollton, GA	52 50–52	$35,074/yr	19.3x
36	University of Central Florida Orlando, FL	52 51–52	$34,335/yr	19.0x
37	California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA	52 51–53	$32,596/yr	17.9x
38	Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA	52 51–52	$31,992/yr	17.0x
39	University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD	52 51–52	$31,852/yr	17.5x
40	CUNY Hunter College New York, NY	52 52–52	$28,790/yr	20.9x
41	New Jersey City University Jersey City, NJ	51 48–51	$40,919/yr	8.7x
42	University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE	51 49–52	$36,401/yr	14.2x
43	American Public University System Charles Town, WV	51 50–52	$35,198/yr	14.8x
44	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC	51 50–52	$34,592/yr	14.3x
45	Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX	51 50–52	$34,016/yr	14.4x
46	University of Nevada-Reno Reno, NV	51 49–51	$33,981/yr	14.3x
47	CUNY Queens College Queens, NY	51 51–52	$27,769/yr	20.8x
48	Ashford University San Diego, CA	50 45–50	$46,581/yr	7.7x
49	Wayne State University Detroit, MI	50 46–50	$41,874/yr	8.1x
50	Texas State University San Marcos, TX	50 48–51	$37,741/yr	10.7x
51	University of North Texas Denton, TX	50 48–51	$36,568/yr	11.3x
52	Angelo State University San Angelo, TX	50 48–50	$34,519/yr	14.4x
53	Kansas State University Manhattan, KS	50 49–50	$33,744/yr	12.3x
54	San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA	50 50–50	$28,718/yr	19.1x
55	University of Kansas Lawrence, KS	49 45–49	$42,451/yr	8.1x
56	Iowa State University Ames, IA	49 46–50	$41,294/yr	10.0x
57	University of Southern Indiana Evansville, IN	49 46–50	$40,692/yr	10.4x
58	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ	49 46–50	$39,283/yr	9.6x
59	Minnesota State University-Mankato Mankato, MN	49 46–50	$39,186/yr	11.3x
60	San Diego State University San Diego, CA	49 47–50	$38,203/yr	12.8x
61	The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX	49 48–50	$33,264/yr	14.0x
62	University of Iowa Iowa City, IA	49 48–50	$33,117/yr	12.4x
63	California State University-Stanislaus Turlock, CA	49 48–50	$32,184/yr	16.0x
64	California State University-East Bay Hayward, CA	49 48–50	$31,059/yr	17.8x
65	CUNY City College New York, NY	49 48–49	$30,290/yr	17.5x
66	State University of New York at Cortland Cortland, NY	49 48–49	$30,192/yr	15.5x
67	University of Florida Gainesville, FL	49 49–49	$27,360/yr	21.5x
68	Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO	48 44–48	$42,785/yr	8.9x
69	Brown University Providence, RI	48 44–48	$42,296/yr	2.0x
70	University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN	48 45–48	$39,522/yr	2.3x
71	The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX	48 47–49	$34,495/yr	11.0x
72	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC	48 47–48	$33,791/yr	15.3x
73	University of South Florida Tampa, FL	48 47–49	$33,474/yr	17.0x
74	East Carolina University Greenville, NC	48 47–49	$33,219/yr	15.6x
75	Dalton State College Dalton, GA	48 47–49	$32,899/yr	29.8x
76	Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA	48 47–49	$32,752/yr	18.9x
77	Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN	48 47–48	$31,880/yr	11.6x
78	Florida International University Miami, FL	48 47–49	$31,835/yr	17.8x
79	California State University-Dominguez Hills Carson, CA	48 48–49	$27,975/yr	19.1x
80	Yale University New Haven, CT	47 43–48	$54,700/yr	1.1x
81	Northwestern University Evanston, IL	47 42–47	$50,161/yr	1.7x
82	Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ	47 43–48	$43,596/yr	5.9x
83	University of Minnesota-Duluth Duluth, MN	47 44–48	$42,297/yr	6.4x
84	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO	47 45–48	$38,627/yr	10.4x
85	Worcester State University Worcester, MA	47 45–48	$38,028/yr	9.7x
86	University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO	47 45–47	$35,403/yr	10.0x
87	Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA	47 46–47	$34,215/yr	10.8x
88	University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA	47 46–48	$34,028/yr	7.1x
89	SUNY Old Westbury Old Westbury, NY	47 46–48	$33,901/yr	13.4x
90	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC	47 46–47	$33,251/yr	13.1x
91	South Dakota State University Brookings, SD	47 46–48	$33,135/yr	12.8x
92	University at Albany Albany, NY	47 46–47	$32,174/yr	12.2x
93	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA	47 47–48	$31,540/yr	12.1x
94	SUNY College at Geneseo Geneseo, NY	47 46–47	$28,664/yr	14.8x
95	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA	47 46–47	$25,728/yr	18.3x
96	Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL	47 46–47	$24,639/yr	26.4x
97	CUNY Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY	47 46–48	$18,674/yr	20.4x
98	Georgetown University Washington, DC	46 41–46	$49,876/yr	0.9x
99	College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA	46 43–47	$42,345/yr	2.1x
100	Illinois State University Normal, IL	46 42–46	$40,465/yr	6.5x
101	University of Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO	46 44–47	$38,276/yr	10.4x
102	Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA	46 44–47	$36,733/yr	9.3x
103	Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO	46 45–47	$36,272/yr	9.2x
104	Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA	46 45–47	$36,126/yr	12.3x
105	Kean University Union, NJ	46 45–47	$34,934/yr	9.3x
106	Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN	46 45–46	$34,456/yr	12.4x
107	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA	46 45–47	$32,999/yr	10.7x
108	Indiana University-Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN	46 46–47	$31,526/yr	12.3x
109	Florida State University Tallahassee, FL	46 46–47	$27,944/yr	21.0x
110	Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY	45 41–46	$53,828/yr	1.4x
111	Barnard College New York, NY	45 40–46	$48,092/yr	0.8x
112	Rider University Lawrenceville, NJ	45 41–46	$46,393/yr	2.6x
113	Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI	45 42–46	$38,628/yr	8.3x
114	University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI	45 43–46	$35,947/yr	11.4x
115	University of Delaware Newark, DE	45 44–46	$34,753/yr	7.8x
116	Oregon State University-Cascades Campus Bend, OR	45 44–45	$34,589/yr	9.3x
117	Rutgers University-Camden Camden, NJ	45 44–45	$33,763/yr	7.6x
118	Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ	45 43–45	$33,763/yr	7.6x
119	Rutgers University-Newark Newark, NJ	45 44–46	$33,763/yr	7.9x
120	Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL	45 43–45	$33,288/yr	9.6x
121	Stephen F Austin State University Nacogdoches, TX	45 45–46	$31,652/yr	11.7x
122	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI	45 45–46	$31,215/yr	8.5x
123	Texas A & M International University Laredo, TX	45 45–46	$29,180/yr	15.3x
124	University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	45 45–46	$28,116/yr	10.8x
125	California State University-Channel Islands Camarillo, CA	45 45–45	$24,134/yr	18.8x
126	Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ	44 39–45	$48,482/yr	2.0x
127	Princeton University Princeton, NJ	44 39–44	$45,363/yr	0.9x
128	Providence College Providence, RI	44 41–45	$41,923/yr	1.9x
129	Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ	44 41–45	$39,283/yr	—
130	Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL	44 41–45	$39,102/yr	7.8x
131	Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH	44 42–45	$37,734/yr	6.7x
132	University of Southern Maine Portland, ME	44 42–44	$36,876/yr	9.1x
133	Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA	44 42–44	$35,747/yr	8.7x
134	Oregon State University Corvallis, OR	44 43–45	$34,589/yr	8.6x
135	Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ	44 43–45	$33,145/yr	8.0x
136	Colorado State University Pueblo Pueblo, CO	44 43–44	$32,603/yr	11.6x
137	Montclair State University Montclair, NJ	44 44–45	$31,607/yr	9.0x
138	Washington State University Pullman, WA	44 43–45	$31,220/yr	9.9x
139	University of New Mexico-Main Campus Albuquerque, NM	44 43–44	$29,793/yr	13.9x
140	University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA	44 43–44	$28,849/yr	9.6x
141	California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA	44 44–45	$27,083/yr	16.7x
142	Binghamton University Vestal, NY	44 44–45	$24,498/yr	13.6x
143	Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA	43 40–44	$41,341/yr	1.7x
144	New York University New York, NY	43 41–44	$39,636/yr	2.0x
145	Longwood University Farmville, VA	43 41–43	$37,404/yr	6.8x
146	University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO	43 41–43	$37,044/yr	6.4x
147	Lander University Greenwood, SC	43 41–43	$36,613/yr	8.4x
148	Clemson University Clemson, SC	43 41–44	$36,199/yr	7.1x
149	SUNY Buffalo State University Buffalo, NY	43 41–44	$35,822/yr	10.8x
150	Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN	43 42–44	$35,391/yr	10.4x
151	Rowan University Glassboro, NJ	43 42–44	$35,150/yr	7.3x
152	Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA	43 42–44	$34,682/yr	10.0x
153	Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, PA	43 42–44	$34,460/yr	8.4x
154	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA	43 42–43	$33,319/yr	7.8x
155	Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA	43 42–44	$32,340/yr	15.2x
156	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI	43 42–44	$32,201/yr	11.0x
157	William & Mary Williamsburg, VA	43 42–43	$31,595/yr	5.6x
158	California State University-Chico Chico, CA	43 43–44	$30,697/yr	13.3x
159	University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth North Dartmouth, MA	43 43–44	$30,581/yr	8.8x
160	University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT	43 43–43	$28,277/yr	12.9x
161	University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC	43 43–44	$27,241/yr	18.1x
162	Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA	43 43–44	$26,784/yr	18.7x
163	University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA	43 43–44	$23,480/yr	11.0x
164	University of Chicago Chicago, IL	42 38–43	$46,616/yr	1.4x
165	Hampden-Sydney College Hampden-Sydney, VA	42 39–43	$42,949/yr	1.0x
166	Norwich University Northfield, VT	42 38–43	$42,940/yr	2.0x
167	George Washington University Washington, DC	42 39–43	$38,927/yr	1.8x
168	Boise State University Boise, ID	42 41–43	$34,568/yr	10.7x
169	University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE	42 41–43	$33,013/yr	10.4x
170	University of Montevallo Montevallo, AL	42 41–42	$32,263/yr	8.5x
171	University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK	42 42–43	$32,127/yr	12.0x
172	University of California-Davis Davis, CA	42 41–42	$31,895/yr	7.9x
173	University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA	42 41–42	$29,749/yr	8.6x
174	Montana State University Bozeman, MT	42 41–42	$29,692/yr	13.2x
175	Salem State University Salem, MA	42 42–43	$29,307/yr	10.4x
176	James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA	42 42–43	$29,000/yr	9.6x
177	SUNY College at Plattsburgh Plattsburgh, NY	42 41–42	$28,400/yr	12.8x
178	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR	42 42–42	$27,873/yr	12.2x
179	California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	42 41–42	$26,862/yr	15.9x
180	California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA	42 42–43	$25,014/yr	16.4x
181	California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA	42 42–43	$24,077/yr	15.7x
182	Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI	41 39–42	$36,257/yr	6.8x
183	Southern Connecticut State University New Haven, CT	41 39–41	$34,858/yr	5.8x
184	Framingham State University Framingham, MA	41 40–42	$34,836/yr	6.5x
185	University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI	41 39–41	$34,319/yr	6.6x
186	The University of Texas at Tyler Tyler, TX	41 39–41	$34,269/yr	9.4x
187	Texas A&M University-San Antonio San Antonio, TX	41 40–41	$33,392/yr	7.7x
188	Georgia State University Atlanta, GA	41 40–42	$32,602/yr	11.3x
189	University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI	41 40–41	$32,259/yr	8.8x
190	Utah State University Logan, UT	41 40–41	$31,768/yr	11.0x
191	Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA	41 40–41	$30,792/yr	9.4x
192	University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY	41 40–41	$28,857/yr	10.8x
193	Kent State University at Stark North Canton, OH	41 41–41	$28,476/yr	14.1x
194	University of Kentucky Lexington, KY	41 41–41	$28,432/yr	9.5x
195	State University of New York at Oswego Oswego, NY	41 41–42	$28,242/yr	12.7x
196	University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL	41 41–41	$28,121/yr	12.6x
197	University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA	41 40–41	$27,569/yr	11.9x
198	University of Georgia Athens, GA	41 40–41	$26,983/yr	11.0x
199	The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL	41 40–41	$25,533/yr	10.9x
200	California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA	41 40–41	$21,642/yr	16.4x
201	Middlebury College Middlebury, VT	40 37–41	$40,195/yr	0.5x
202	Columbia College Columbia, MO	40 37–41	$40,054/yr	3.4x
203	Wabash College Crawfordsville, IN	40 37–41	$39,138/yr	2.1x
204	Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX	40 39–41	$33,550/yr	2.1x
205	University of Illinois Springfield Springfield, IL	40 39–41	$33,297/yr	8.5x
206	University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA	40 39–41	$31,965/yr	7.8x
207	University of Memphis Memphis, TN	40 39–40	$30,652/yr	10.2x
208	The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX	40 40–41	$30,230/yr	10.9x
209	University of North Carolina Asheville Asheville, NC	40 39–40	$28,205/yr	13.4x
210	University of West Florida Pensacola, FL	40 40–41	$27,340/yr	15.5x
211	The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN	40 40–40	$26,952/yr	11.4x
212	George Mason University Fairfax, VA	40 40–41	$25,992/yr	9.6x
213	University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL	40 40–41	$25,689/yr	16.1x
214	West Virginia University Morgantown, WV	40 39–40	$24,215/yr	12.4x
215	University of Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV	40 39–41	$16,100/yr	13.6x
216	American University Washington, DC	39 35–40	$43,809/yr	1.4x
217	Grinnell College Grinnell, IA	39 36–40	$39,687/yr	1.6x
218	Temple University Philadelphia, PA	39 38–40	$33,586/yr	5.0x
219	University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA	39 39–40	$33,081/yr	7.3x
220	Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI	39 38–39	$33,000/yr	7.2x
221	Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus Indiana, PA	39 38–40	$32,976/yr	8.5x
222	University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Green Bay, WI	39 39–40	$32,930/yr	10.4x
223	Southeastern Louisiana University Hammond, LA	39 38–39	$31,798/yr	10.7x
224	East Central University Ada, OK	39 39–40	$31,159/yr	8.7x
225	Central Connecticut State University New Britain, CT	39 39–40	$30,301/yr	8.9x
226	University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA	39 39–40	$29,824/yr	8.3x
227	Salisbury University Salisbury, MD	39 39–40	$27,873/yr	10.6x
228	Ohio State University-Lima Campus Lima, OH	39 39–40	$26,663/yr	12.0x
229	Ohio State University-Mansfield Campus Mansfield, OH	39 39–40	$26,663/yr	12.0x
230	Ohio State University-Marion Campus Marion, OH	39 39–40	$26,663/yr	12.0x
231	Ohio State University-Newark Campus Newark, OH	39 39–40	$26,663/yr	12.0x
232	University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Fort Smith, AR	39 39–40	$26,445/yr	14.6x
233	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL	39 39–39	$26,436/yr	8.2x
234	University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA	39 39–39	$26,261/yr	9.7x
235	University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA	39 39–39	$26,261/yr	9.6x
236	State University of New York at New Paltz New Paltz, NY	39 38–39	$20,124/yr	13.4x
237	Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY	38 36–39	$38,461/yr	0.4x
238	University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA	38 36–39	$36,876/yr	1.6x
239	Loyola University Maryland Baltimore, MD	38 37–39	$36,547/yr	2.0x
240	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI	38 37–39	$32,434/yr	6.6x
241	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ	38 38–39	$30,592/yr	8.0x
242	Auburn University Auburn, AL	38 38–39	$30,458/yr	8.5x
243	University of South Alabama Mobile, AL	38 38–39	$29,744/yr	10.3x
244	Augusta University Augusta, GA	38 38–39	$28,689/yr	12.0x
245	University of New Hampshire at Manchester Manchester, NH	38 37–38	$28,663/yr	7.4x
246	The University of Montana Missoula, MT	38 38–39	$28,508/yr	11.9x
247	University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD	38 37–38	$28,431/yr	10.7x
248	University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC	38 38–39	$27,652/yr	9.1x
249	University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO	38 38–39	$26,996/yr	8.7x
250	University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC	38 38–38	$25,047/yr	13.7x
251	Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH	38 38–39	$24,075/yr	15.6x
252	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH	38 38–39	$24,075/yr	15.6x
253	Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH	38 38–39	$24,075/yr	15.6x
254	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH	38 38–39	$24,075/yr	15.6x
255	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH	38 38–39	$24,075/yr	15.6x
256	Georgia College & State University Milledgeville, GA	38 37–38	$23,907/yr	12.2x
257	University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA	38 38–39	$21,713/yr	8.9x
258	Tufts University Medford, MA	37 33–37	$41,447/yr	1.0x
259	University of Denver Denver, CO	37 35–37	$36,774/yr	0.5x
260	Liberty University Lynchburg, VA	37 36–38	$33,456/yr	2.9x
261	Northern Michigan University Marquette, MI	37 36–38	$32,675/yr	7.1x
262	Mount Saint Mary College Newburgh, NY	37 36–37	$32,383/yr	2.8x
263	Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL	37 37–38	$32,149/yr	7.3x
264	Rhode Island College Providence, RI	37 37–38	$31,981/yr	8.5x
265	University of Maine Orono, ME	37 36–38	$31,357/yr	5.2x
266	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH	37 36–37	$31,217/yr	4.8x
267	Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, TX	37 37–38	$30,650/yr	9.6x
268	Oklahoma State University-Main Campus Stillwater, OK	37 37–38	$30,522/yr	6.5x
269	Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY	37 37–38	$29,619/yr	9.3x
270	University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg Greensburg, PA	37 37–37	$29,591/yr	7.4x
271	University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown Johnstown, PA	37 37–37	$29,591/yr	7.4x
272	Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA	37 37–37	$29,386/yr	6.8x
273	Stockton University Galloway, NJ	37 37–38	$28,897/yr	7.3x
274	Appalachian State University Boone, NC	37 37–38	$28,454/yr	12.0x
275	University of Massachusetts-Lowell Lowell, MA	37 37–38	$27,586/yr	7.3x
276	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT	37 37–38	$27,581/yr	7.0x
277	University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT	37 37–38	$27,581/yr	7.0x
278	University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, CT	37 37–38	$27,581/yr	7.0x
279	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, CT	37 37–38	$27,581/yr	7.0x
280	University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL	37 37–38	$26,474/yr	8.4x
281	The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ	37 37–38	$26,218/yr	6.9x
282	University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC	37 37–38	$25,089/yr	13.0x
283	SUNY Brockport Brockport, NY	37 36–37	$22,976/yr	12.1x
284	University of Miami Coral Gables, FL	36 34–36	$35,633/yr	0.5x
285	University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS	36 35–36	$30,684/yr	9.0x
286	Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY	36 36–37	$29,346/yr	9.5x
287	Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, AL	36 35–36	$29,057/yr	8.1x
288	University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Durham, NH	36 36–37	$28,663/yr	5.9x
289	Radford University Radford, VA	36 36–37	$28,239/yr	8.6x
290	University of Wisconsin-La Crosse La Crosse, WI	36 36–37	$28,013/yr	10.1x
291	University of Connecticut Storrs, CT	36 36–37	$27,581/yr	5.9x
292	University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA	36 36–36	$26,805/yr	6.7x
293	Eastern Connecticut State University Willimantic, CT	36 35–36	$26,186/yr	8.4x
294	Western Washington University Bellingham, WA	36 36–37	$25,355/yr	11.2x
295	Truman State University Kirksville, MO	36 36–37	$25,010/yr	11.0x
296	Westfield State University Westfield, MA	36 36–37	$24,879/yr	9.6x
297	California State University-San Marcos San Marcos, CA	36 36–37	$22,407/yr	12.9x
298	Nazareth University Rochester, NY	35 33–36	$37,677/yr	1.9x
299	Marquette University Milwaukee, WI	35 33–36	$36,907/yr	1.8x
300	DePaul University Chicago, IL	35 33–36	$36,889/yr	2.0x
301	University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH	35 34–36	$32,577/yr	6.4x
302	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Bowling Green, OH	35 35–36	$30,226/yr	6.9x
303	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL	35 35–35	$30,101/yr	7.2x
304	Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH	35 35–36	$29,535/yr	4.9x
305	University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI	35 35–36	$28,998/yr	9.6x
306	College of Charleston Charleston, SC	35 35–35	$28,449/yr	7.7x
307	Ball State University Muncie, IN	35 35–36	$28,444/yr	9.0x
308	Missouri State University-Springfield Springfield, MO	35 35–36	$27,941/yr	6.7x
309	Murray State University Murray, KY	35 34–35	$27,831/yr	6.2x
310	East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN	35 35–36	$27,799/yr	9.7x
311	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH	35 35–36	$26,663/yr	8.3x
312	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt Arcata, CA	35 35–36	$20,972/yr	12.5x
313	Saint Anselm College Manchester, NH	34 33–35	$32,228/yr	2.2x
314	Vermont State University Randolph, VT	34 34–35	$29,907/yr	7.6x
315	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA	34 34–35	$29,591/yr	4.7x
316	University of Central Arkansas Conway, AR	34 33–34	$29,337/yr	8.2x
317	St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Mary's City, MD	34 34–34	$28,929/yr	3.7x
318	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN	34 33–34	$28,713/yr	7.0x
319	Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH	34 34–35	$28,476/yr	7.6x
320	University of Vermont Burlington, VT	34 34–35	$28,254/yr	5.7x
321	Southern Oregon University Ashland, OR	34 34–35	$28,067/yr	4.8x
322	East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg, PA	34 33–34	$27,711/yr	8.4x
323	Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY	34 34–35	$27,177/yr	8.7x
324	Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL	34 34–35	$26,916/yr	7.9x
325	The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX	34 34–35	$26,081/yr	9.8x
326	Portland State University Portland, OR	34 34–35	$24,612/yr	9.1x
327	University of Louisville Louisville, KY	34 33–35	$22,047/yr	8.6x
328	Brandeis University Waltham, MA	33 32–33	$33,903/yr	1.5x
329	Wheaton College (Massachusetts) Norton, MA	33 32–34	$32,896/yr	0.3x
330	Bridgewater College Bridgewater, VA	33 32–34	$32,771/yr	1.0x
331	Miami University-Oxford Oxford, OH	33 32–33	$31,194/yr	4.5x
332	Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL	33 33–34	$31,079/yr	2.1x
333	Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA	33 33–33	$29,794/yr	5.5x
334	Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ	33 32–33	$28,862/yr	6.9x
335	Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI	33 32–33	$28,414/yr	6.1x
336	Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC	33 33–34	$28,322/yr	6.2x
337	Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS	33 32–33	$28,295/yr	8.2x
338	University of North Alabama Florence, AL	33 33–34	$27,927/yr	7.7x
339	University of Missouri-St Louis Saint Louis, MO	33 33–34	$27,851/yr	7.2x
340	Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA	33 33–34	$26,761/yr	8.4x
341	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN	33 33–34	$26,635/yr	6.4x
342	University of Oregon Eugene, OR	33 33–34	$25,571/yr	6.8x
343	Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN	33 32–33	$24,659/yr	9.3x
344	University of Missouri-Kansas City Kansas City, MO	33 33–34	$24,289/yr	8.5x
345	University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA	33 32–34	$21,750/yr	9.6x
346	Presbyterian College Clinton, SC	32 31–33	$35,265/yr	1.7x
347	St Lawrence University Canton, NY	32 30–32	$35,230/yr	1.2x
348	Emory University Atlanta, GA	32 31–32	$33,710/yr	1.5x
349	Baldwin Wallace University Berea, OH	32 31–32	$31,163/yr	1.1x
350	Siena College Loudonville, NY	32 31–32	$29,134/yr	2.4x
351	Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI	32 32–33	$27,087/yr	3.4x
352	University of California-Merced Merced, CA	32 31–32	$26,103/yr	3.6x
353	Texas A & M University-Commerce Commerce, TX	32 32–33	$24,801/yr	5.2x
354	Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC	32 32–33	$24,172/yr	8.5x
355	SUNY at Purchase College Purchase, NY	32 32–33	$23,803/yr	5.6x
356	Lycoming College Williamsport, PA	31 29–31	$35,026/yr	1.1x
357	Connecticut College New London, CT	31 29–31	$34,657/yr	1.0x
358	Syracuse University Syracuse, NY	31 30–32	$34,610/yr	1.2x
359	Hobart William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY	31 30–31	$30,710/yr	1.6x
360	Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI	31 31–31	$27,341/yr	5.9x
361	Wofford College Spartanburg, SC	30 30–31	$30,189/yr	0.4x
362	University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA	30 30–31	$29,909/yr	0.2x
363	Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA	30 30–31	$29,451/yr	2.1x
364	Franciscan University of Steubenville Steubenville, OH	30 30–31	$29,424/yr	1.3x
365	Rhodes College Memphis, TN	30 29–30	$29,279/yr	0.3x
366	Wright State University-Main Campus Dayton, OH	30 30–31	$27,157/yr	6.6x
367	Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH	30 29–30	$24,075/yr	6.5x
368	University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, AR	30 30–31	$23,785/yr	9.0x
369	University of Rochester Rochester, NY	30 29–31	$16,253/yr	-0.4x
370	Emmanuel College Boston, MA	29 29–30	$28,695/yr	0.5x
371	The University of Tampa Tampa, FL	29 29–30	$27,787/yr	1.1x
372	University of Scranton Scranton, PA	29 29–30	$26,442/yr	2.1x
373	Hofstra University Hempstead, NY	29 28–29	$23,113/yr	2.0x
374	Fordham University Bronx, NY	29 28–29	$20,075/yr	1.9x
375	Villanova University Villanova, PA	28 28–29	$27,882/yr	0.1x
376	Stetson University DeLand, FL	27 27–28	$25,696/yr	0.2x
377	Albright College Reading, PA	27 26–27	$19,041/yr	3.3x
378	Roanoke College Salem, VA	26 26–27	$25,940/yr	2.3x
379	Willamette University Salem, OR	26 25–26	$22,555/yr	2.0x
380	Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA	25 25–25	$28,497/yr	1.0x
381	Smith College Northampton, MA	25 25–25	$26,131/yr	1.4x
382	Le Moyne College Syracuse, NY	25 25–26	$21,225/yr	0.4x
383	University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA	25 24–26	$19,222/yr	1.7x
384	The College of Wooster Wooster, OH	24 24–25	$28,013/yr	1.0x
385	Ripon College Ripon, WI	23 23–24	$25,421/yr	1.4x
386	Allegheny College Meadville, PA	23 22–23	$20,713/yr	1.5x
387	Baylor University Waco, TX	23 22–23	$20,391/yr	1.5x
388	Manhattanville College Purchase, NY	23 23–24	$19,473/yr	2.0x
389	Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA	21 21–22	$23,337/yr	0.8x

Highest Earning History Programs

Schools where History graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School	1-Year Earnings	DW Score
Dartmouth College	$61,127/yr	60
Duke University	$60,750/yr	57
University of Houston-Clear Lake	$57,239/yr	64
Amherst College	$56,444/yr	65
Yale University	$54,700/yr	47
Columbia University in the City of New York	$53,828/yr	45
Harvard University	$53,468/yr	58
Northwestern University	$50,161/yr	47
Nevada State University	$50,149/yr	60
Georgetown University	$49,876/yr	46

Best ROI for History

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for History.

School	ROI Multiple	Earnings	DW Score
Dalton State College	29.8x	$32,899/yr	48
Western Carolina University	26.8x	$34,909/yr	54
University of North Georgia	26.8x	$38,226/yr	59
Florida Atlantic University	26.4x	$24,639/yr	47
Brigham Young University	23.8x	$38,643/yr	62
University of Florida	21.5x	$27,360/yr	49
Florida State University	21.0x	$27,944/yr	46
CUNY Hunter College	20.9x	$28,790/yr	52
CUNY Queens College	20.8x	$27,769/yr	51
CUNY Brooklyn College	20.4x	$18,674/yr	47

Want to compare two History programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Consider the Trade Route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in History offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do History graduates earn?

Across 389 schools, History graduates earn an average of $32,281 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $16,100 to $61,127 depending on the school.

What is the AI automation risk for History?

History is rated "High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 50% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means some career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.

Which school has the best History program?

Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), Amherst College ranks #1 for History with a score of 65/100 and graduate earnings of $56,444/yr.

What's the outlook for a History degree?

On average, History graduates earn 8.9x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a moderate return — school choice matters significantly.

Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →