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History · History Rank #184 of 389

Historyat California State University-Fresno

Graduates earn $21,642/yr in their first year — about 33.0% below the national History average. Base-case 10-year earnings $555K; scenarios range from $511K to $562K depending on AI disruption.

Fresno, CA Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
41 AVERAGE
41
Optimistic
40
Pessimistic
Earnings
$21,642
1-year post-graduation
ROI
16.4x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$555K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
50% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Fresno State

Your post-graduation earnings with a History degree from CSU-Fresno reflect the realities of a regional labor market and the broad applicability of a humanities education. In the Central Valley, many graduates find roles in local government, K-12 education, or non-profit sectors, which often feature more modest salary growth compared to national averages for specialized fields. The program excels at developing critical thinking and research skills, but translating these directly into high-paying roles typically requires intentional career planning. Many students don't pursue the graduate-level education often needed for positions like historians or postsecondary teachers, instead leveraging their skills in more generalist roles. To maximize your potential, actively seek internships early, ideally combining your historical expertise with practical skills like data analysis, project management, or communications to differentiate yourself in the job market.

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
$511K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score40/100
Earnings Multiple18.3x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$555K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score41/100
Earnings Multiple19.9x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$562K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score41/100
Earnings Multiple20.1x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Fresno State'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 Fresno State 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 Fresno State

Other top programs at Fresno State

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Fresno State, 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 Fresno State

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for History at California State University-Fresno?

A score of 41/100 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 $511,198 in decade earnings vs $561,688 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.

Can you still earn well with History from California State University-Fresno?

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.