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History at Ball State University

Muncie, IN · Public · Bachelor's Degree
35 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
36
Optimistic
35
Base Case
35
Pessimistic
Earnings $28,444/yr (-12% vs median)
AI Risk High (44% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (188,200 openings/yr)
ROI 11.2x earnings multiple (4.2x out-of-state)
Ranked #301 of 389 History programs

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to History graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $482K $483K $456K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 11.2x 11.2x 10.6x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 4.2x 4.2x 4.0x
Probability of Field Employment 50% 45% 34%
DegreeOutlook Score 36 35 35

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$43,032
Out-of-state: $115,064 (4.2x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$63,592
-48% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$20,341
8.6 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$42,879
51% growth from Year 1

About Ball State University

Ball State University has a 72% acceptance rate, making it broadly accessible, enrolling 13,770 students in Muncie, IN.

See all programs and financial aid at Ball State University →

Top Career Paths

Natural sciences managers $161,180/yr
Managers, all other $136,550/yr
History teachers, postsecondary $81,500/yr
View all 8 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 389 schools offering History →

History at Other Schools

Dartmouth College ($61,127) Duke University ($60,750) University of Houston-Clear Lake ($57,239) Amherst College ($56,444) Yale University ($54,700) Columbia University in the City of New York ($53,828) Harvard University ($53,468) Northwestern University ($50,161)

Other Majors at Ball State University

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($73,719) Construction Management ($69,076) Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($67,833) Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods ($67,350) General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations ($65,184) Business Administration, Management and Operations ($60,526) Landscape Architecture ($59,972) Computer and Information Sciences, General ($59,249)

Is a Trade Program a Better Fit?

Compare History trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →

For students who prefer applied learning, trade programs can deliver strong earnings with significantly less debt and shorter time to employment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for History at Ball State University?
A score of 35/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for History. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
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 $455,846 in decade earnings vs $482,049 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →