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History · History Rank #386 of 389

Historyat Allegheny College

Graduates earn $20,713/yr in their first year — about 36.0% below the national History average. Base-case 10-year earnings $625K; scenarios range from $565K to $639K depending on AI disruption.

Meadville, PA Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
23 AT RISK
23
Optimistic
22
Pessimistic
Earnings
$20,713
1-year post-graduation
ROI
1.5x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$625K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
50% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Allegheny College

A History degree from Allegheny College offers a strong foundation in critical thinking and research, but the financial data reflects a challenging path for many graduates. Meadville's regional job market is not robust for direct history-specific roles, meaning you'll often need to translate your valuable liberal arts skills into broader, entry-level positions in fields like education support, non-profits, or general administration, which typically offer lower starting salaries.

While the page highlights high-earning careers like managers or postsecondary teachers, these often require significant experience, advanced degrees, or specific industry connections that aren't a direct outcome of an undergraduate history degree alone. The key is proactively building a bridge from your academic training to in-demand professional skills. To maximize your prospects, aggressively pursue internships, ideally outside the immediate Meadville area, and consider complementing your history studies with minors or certifications in areas like data analysis, project management, or communications to create a more direct pathway to desirable roles.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$565K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score22/100
Earnings Multiple2.6x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$625K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score23/100
Earnings Multiple2.8x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$639K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score23/100
Earnings Multiple2.9x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Allegheny College's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where History graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Natural sciences managers
+3.7% 10-yr growth · 8,500 openings/yr
$161,180/yr
High
2
Managers, all other
+4.5% 10-yr growth · 106,700 openings/yr
$136,550/yr
Moderate
3
History teachers, postsecondary
-0.2% 10-yr growth · 1,700 openings/yr
$81,500/yr
High
4
Historians
+2.2% 10-yr growth · 300 openings/yr
$74,050/yr
Moderate
5
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
-1.6% 10-yr growth · 66,200 openings/yr
$64,580/yr
Moderate
6
Curators
+7.0% 10-yr growth · 1,800 openings/yr
$61,770/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering History

How Allegheny College stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Dartmouth College
NH · Private nonprofit
60
DW Score
$61K
1-yr earn
2.6x
ROI
Duke University
NC · Private nonprofit
57
DW Score
$61K
1-yr earn
2.3x
ROI
University of Houston-Clear Lake
TX · Public
64
DW Score
$57K
1-yr earn
15.7x
ROI
Top score
Amherst College
MA · Private nonprofit
65
DW Score
$56K
1-yr earn
4.9x
ROI
Yale University
CT · Private nonprofit
47
DW Score
$55K
1-yr earn
1.1x
ROI
Also at Allegheny College

Other top programs at Allegheny College

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Allegheny College, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

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.

Compare History trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about History at Allegheny College

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for History at Allegheny College?

A score of 23/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for History. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.

Is History at Allegheny College worth the student debt?

Median debt of $27,000 against $20,713/yr starting salary means roughly 1.3 years of earnings go to repayment. That's above average — financial aid and loan terms matter here.

Will AI replace History careers?

With 44% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $564,899 in decade earnings vs $638,948 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.

Can you still earn well with History from Allegheny College?

First-year earnings trail the national median, but starting salary isn't the full picture. Regional cost of living, career trajectory, and tuition cost all factor in. Check the five-year earnings data when available.

Is Allegheny College a hidden gem for History?

After financial aid, the average student pays $87,600 over four years — 60% below the $219,840 sticker price. That gap makes the ROI significantly better than published tuition suggests.