Historyat University of California-Los Angeles
Graduates earn $28,116/yr in their first year — about 13.0% below the national History average. Base-case 10-year earnings $658K; scenarios range from $590K to $675K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at UCLA
A UCLA History degree offers rigorous training in critical thinking, research, and compelling communication—highly valued skills, even if your initial career path isn't a direct "historian" role. The earning figures reflect that many graduates leverage these abilities in diverse fields like law, journalism, public policy, or non-profit management, often requiring further education or a few years to build specialized experience. The Los Angeles market, rich in media, education, and cultural institutions like the Getty or Huntington Library, provides ample opportunities for those who can connect their analytical prowess to industry needs. While AI may impact certain research or data-intensive roles, your ability to synthesize complex information and craft narratives remains crucial. To maximize your prospects, actively seek internships that apply your historical skills in practical settings, whether in archives, marketing, or project management, and network extensively with alumni in your desired fields.
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.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to UCLA's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
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.
Peer schools offering History
How UCLA stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at UCLA
Other highest-scoring programs offered at UCLA, 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 →Frequently asked about History at UCLA
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for History at University of California-Los Angeles?
A score of 45/100 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 $590,250 in decade earnings vs $675,417 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.