Which state pays history bachelor's graduates the most?

Arizona, where the median program pays its graduates $39,283 in their first year, the highest of 26 state rankings. Colorado is next, at $36,909.

Which history bachelor's program pays the most?

Dartmouth College in New Hampshire reports the highest first-year pay of the 370 programs ranked here, $61,127. Its median federal debt is $19,000.

How much debt do history bachelor's graduates have?

The median program leaves its graduates with $23,973 in federal debt. Across programs, the median debt is 73% of first-year pay.

Highest-Paying History (Bachelor's) Programs in the US

370 programs report first-year pay
26 state rankings
Bachelor's in History

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

The median history bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $31,710 in their first year and $50,314 five years after. Arizona has the highest state median ($39,283), and Oregon the lowest ($25,571). The median program leaves its graduates with $23,973 in federal debt.

Median first-year pay$31,710Across 370 programs

Median pay after 5 years$50,314Across 458 programs

Median federal debt$23,973Across 427 programs

Debt-to-earnings73%Across 354 programs

All 370 programs, ranked by graduate pay

Each program is ranked by the median pay of its graduates one year after they finished, from College Scorecard. This measures what graduates earn, not how good the teaching is. Pay also depends on where graduates live and work. Programs that don't report a figure are listed last when you sort by it.

#	School	Year 1 pay	After cost of living	Year 5 pay	Debt	Debt to pay
1	Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH · private nonprofit	$61,127	Not adjusted	$95,866	$19,000	31%
2	Duke UniversityDurham, NC · private nonprofit	$60,750	Not adjusted	$85,818	$13,000	21%
3	UH-Clear LakeHouston, TX · public	$57,239	$58,975	$51,823	$22,625	40%
4	Amherst CollegeAmherst, MA · private nonprofit	$56,444	Not adjusted	$158,858	Not reported	Not reported
5	Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT · private nonprofit	$54,700	Not adjusted	Not reported	$12,000	22%
6	Columbia UniversityNew York, NY · private nonprofit	$53,828	Not adjusted	$66,087	$22,000	41%
7	Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA · private nonprofit	$53,468	Not adjusted	$94,015	$12,721	24%
8	Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL · private nonprofit	$50,161	Not adjusted	$70,234	$15,917	32%
9	Nevada StateHenderson, NV · public	$50,149	$50,160	Not reported	$26,611	53%
10	Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC · private nonprofit	$49,876	Not adjusted	Not reported	$16,640	33%
11	UPennPhiladelphia, PA · private nonprofit	$48,555	Not adjusted	$87,454	$11,000	23%
12	Monmouth UniversityWest Long Branch, NJ · private nonprofit	$48,482	$44,559	$54,449	$27,000	56%
13	Barnard CollegeNew York, NY · private nonprofit	$48,092	Not adjusted	Not reported	$16,425	34%
14	UMass BostonBoston, MA · public	$46,908	$44,355	$55,180	$24,862	53%
15	Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN · private nonprofit	$46,856	Not adjusted	$88,187	$15,000	32%
16	University of ChicagoChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$46,616	Not adjusted	$64,082	Not reported	Not reported
17	University of Arizona Global CampusChandler, AZ · public	$46,581	Not adjusted	$45,565	$40,750	87%
18	Rider UniversityLawrenceville, NJ · private nonprofit	$46,393	$42,639	$55,702	$27,000	58%
19	Fitchburg StateFitchburg, MA · public	$46,184	Not adjusted	Not reported	$21,635	47%
20	Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ · private nonprofit	$45,363	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
21	UT ArlingtonArlington, TX · public	$44,806	$46,165	$57,421	$24,875	56%
22	Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY · private nonprofit	$44,706	Not adjusted	$88,845	$16,884	38%
23	Lehman CollegeBronx, NY · public	$43,874	$40,654	$54,924	$15,090	34%
24	American UniversityWashington, DC · private nonprofit	$43,809	Not adjusted	$54,363	$26,000	59%
25	GCUPhoenix, AZ · private nonprofit	$43,596	Not adjusted	$48,017	$32,237	74%
26	Hampden-Sydney CollegeHampden-Sydney, VA · private nonprofit	$42,949	$42,480	Not reported	$27,000	63%
27	Norwich UniversityNorthfield, VT · private nonprofit	$42,940	Not adjusted	$59,542	$27,000	63%
28	Texas A&MCollege Station, TX · public	$42,899	$44,200	$53,850	$20,410	48%
29	Metropolitan State University of DenverDenver, CO · public	$42,785	$41,518	$42,762	$34,125	80%
30	Citadel Military College of South CarolinaCharleston, SC · public	$42,712	Not adjusted	$59,089	$25,524	60%
31	Virginia Military InstituteLexington, VA · public	$42,543	Not adjusted	$62,892	$19,500	46%
32	University of KansasLawrence, KS · public	$42,451	$47,132	Not reported	$25,000	59%
33	College of the Holy CrossWorcester, MA · private nonprofit	$42,345	Not adjusted	$75,084	$27,000	64%
34	University of Minnesota-DuluthDuluth, MN · public	$42,297	$42,888	Not reported	$26,743	63%
35	Brown UniversityProvidence, RI · private nonprofit	$42,296	Not adjusted	$81,596	$13,491	32%
36	University of MarylandCollege Park, MD · public	$42,020	$40,035	$55,450	$23,715	56%
37	Providence CollegeProvidence, RI · private nonprofit	$41,923	Not adjusted	$71,039	$27,000	64%
38	Wayne StateDetroit, MI · public	$41,874	$43,520	$52,040	$32,544	78%
39	Tufts UniversityMedford, MA · private nonprofit	$41,447	Not adjusted	$55,116	$15,750	38%
40	Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA · private nonprofit	$41,341	Not adjusted	$72,601	$19,000	46%
41	Iowa StateAmes, IA · public	$41,294	$47,052	$46,000	$26,007	63%
42	New Jersey City UniversityJersey City, NJ · public	$40,919	$37,608	$54,387	$25,629	63%
43	UW-WhitewaterWhitewater, WI · public	$40,807	$43,368	$52,667	$27,000	66%
44	University of Southern IndianaEvansville, IN · public	$40,692	$43,601	$46,330	$21,629	53%
45	Illinois StateNormal, IL · public	$40,465	$40,482	$48,171	$23,125	57%
46	Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury, VT · private nonprofit	$40,195	Not adjusted	Not reported	$23,000	57%
47	Towson UniversityTowson, MD · public	$40,162	$38,264	$53,930	$15,720	39%
48	Columbia College (Missouri)Columbia, MO · private nonprofit	$40,054	Not adjusted	$42,789	$29,700	74%
49	Grinnell CollegeGrinnell, IA · private nonprofit	$39,687	Not adjusted	$66,562	$17,500	44%
50	NYUNew York, NY · private nonprofit	$39,636	$36,727	$72,739	$19,000	48%
51	University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusNorman, OK · public	$39,604	$45,085	$51,216	$25,000	63%
52	Troy UniversityTroy, AL · public	$39,591	Not adjusted	$51,696	$28,500	72%
53	Notre DameNotre Dame, IN · private nonprofit	$39,522	Not adjusted	$83,573	$19,000	48%
54	University of Nebraska at KearneyKearney, NE · public	$39,340	Not adjusted	$52,940	$18,250	46%
55	ASUTempe, AZ · public	$39,283	Not adjusted	$50,922	$28,513	73%
56	University of HoustonHouston, TX · public	$39,240	$40,430	$54,902	$21,250	54%
57	Minnesota State MankatoMankato, MN · public	$39,186	$39,734	$46,610	$27,000	69%
58	Wabash CollegeCrawfordsville, IN · private nonprofit	$39,138	$41,936	$60,746	$27,000	69%
59	Northeastern Illinois UniversityChicago, IL · public	$39,102	$39,118	$43,591	$19,176	49%
60	George Washington UniversityWashington, DC · private nonprofit	$38,927	Not adjusted	$73,794	$23,250	60%
61	Texas TechLubbock, TX · public	$38,687	$39,860	$56,372	$22,250	58%
62	BYUProvo, UT · private nonprofit	$38,643	$39,087	$64,412	$15,000	39%
63	Saginaw Valley StateUniversity Center, MI · public	$38,628	$40,147	$45,658	$29,702	77%
64	CU DenverDenver, CO · public	$38,627	$37,483	$45,546	$23,750	61%
65	Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie, NY · private nonprofit	$38,461	Not adjusted	Not reported	$19,000	49%
66	UCCSColorado Springs, CO · public	$38,276	$37,142	$44,119	$21,250	56%
67	University of North GeorgiaDahlonega, GA · public	$38,226	$39,698	$55,603	$22,312	58%
68	San Diego StateSan Diego, CA · public	$38,203	$34,504	$45,688	$13,881	36%
69	Worcester StateWorcester, MA · public	$38,028	$35,958	$48,516	$24,610	65%
70	Texas StateSan Marcos, TX · public	$37,741	$38,885	$53,755	$23,973	64%
71	SNHUManchester, NH · private nonprofit	$37,734	Not adjusted	$50,704	$31,683	84%
72	Nazareth UniversityRochester, NY · private nonprofit	$37,677	Not adjusted	$46,603	$25,000	66%
73	UT DallasRichardson, TX · public	$37,450	$38,586	$69,862	$23,000	61%
74	Longwood UniversityFarmville, VA · public	$37,404	$36,996	$47,156	$26,988	72%
75	UH-DowntownHouston, TX · public	$37,246	$38,375	$53,715	$26,625	71%
76	CU BoulderBoulder, CO · public	$37,044	$35,947	$48,790	$17,905	48%
77	CSUNNorthridge, CA · public	$37,031	$33,446	$52,390	$15,000	41%
78	Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI · private nonprofit	$36,907	Not adjusted	$53,955	$19,500	53%
79	DePaul UniversityChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$36,889	$36,904	$52,601	$27,000	73%
80	University of Southern MainePortland, ME · public	$36,876	$37,997	$44,213	$27,000	73%
80	USCLos Angeles, CA · private nonprofit	$36,876	$33,306	$70,904	$12,638	34%
82	University of DenverDenver, CO · private nonprofit	$36,774	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
83	Old Dominion UniversityNorfolk, VA · public	$36,733	$36,332	$50,573	$24,875	68%
84	SUNY OneontaOneonta, NY · public	$36,625	$33,937	$53,613	$21,750	59%
85	Lander UniversityGreenwood, SC · public	$36,613	$39,054	$43,979	$21,297	58%
86	UNTDenton, TX · public	$36,568	$37,677	$54,740	$22,680	62%
87	Loyola University MarylandBaltimore, MD · private nonprofit	$36,547	Not adjusted	$65,917	Not reported	Not reported
88	Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY · public	$36,426	$33,752	$59,251	$21,000	58%
89	University of Nebraska at OmahaOmaha, NE · public	$36,401	$40,399	$50,860	$21,500	59%
90	Colorado StateFort Collins, CO · public	$36,272	$35,198	$52,465	$24,152	67%
91	Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, MI · public	$36,257	$37,683	$45,903	$22,875	63%
92	Clemson UniversityClemson, SC · public	$36,199	$38,613	$50,184	$24,550	68%
93	Eastern Washington UniversityCheney, WA · public	$36,126	$33,759	$44,411	$23,608	65%
94	UW-MadisonMadison, WI · public	$35,959	$38,216	$58,333	$20,909	58%
95	UW-Stevens PointStevens Point, WI · public	$35,947	$38,203	$43,724	$23,310	65%
96	Buffalo StateBuffalo, NY · public	$35,822	$33,193	$39,929	$25,394	71%
97	Central Washington UniversityEllensburg, WA · public	$35,747	$33,404	Not reported	$25,250	71%
98	University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL · private nonprofit	$35,633	Not adjusted	Not reported	$19,000	53%
99	University of WyomingLaramie, WY · public	$35,450	$38,245	$53,486	$18,209	51%
100	University of Northern ColoradoGreeley, CO · public	$35,403	$34,355	$52,808	$23,804	67%
101	Middle Tennessee StateMurfreesboro, TN · public	$35,391	$38,523	$43,177	$18,500	52%
102	Presbyterian CollegeClinton, SC · private nonprofit	$35,265	Not adjusted	$47,096	$25,500	72%
103	St Lawrence UniversityCanton, NY · private nonprofit	$35,230	Not adjusted	$56,830	$27,000	77%
104	American Public University SystemCharles Town, WV · private for-profit	$35,198	Not adjusted	$53,057	$26,582	76%
105	Rowan UniversityGlassboro, NJ · public	$35,150	$32,306	$52,084	$25,500	73%
106	University of West GeorgiaCarrollton, GA · public	$35,074	$36,424	$48,446	$29,990	86%
107	Lycoming CollegeWilliamsport, PA · private nonprofit	$35,026	Not adjusted	$39,332	Not reported	Not reported
108	Kean UniversityUnion, NJ · public	$34,934	$32,107	$55,308	$26,000	74%
109	Western Carolina UniversityCullowhee, NC · public	$34,909	$37,009	$50,346	$24,004	69%
110	Southern Connecticut StateNew Haven, CT · public	$34,858	$33,643	Not reported	$19,500	56%
111	Framingham StateFramingham, MA · public	$34,836	$32,940	Not reported	$27,000	78%
112	University of DelawareNewark, DE · public	$34,753	$34,820	$56,763	$23,250	67%
113	Slippery Rock University of PennsylvaniaSlippery Rock, PA · public	$34,682	$35,545	$46,134	$27,000	78%
114	Connecticut CollegeNew London, CT · private nonprofit	$34,657	Not adjusted	$52,974	$21,500	62%
115	Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY · private nonprofit	$34,610	Not adjusted	$54,449	$26,000	75%
116	UNC Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC · public	$34,592	$36,673	$54,874	$14,838	43%
117	Oregon StateCorvallis, OR · public	$34,589	$33,464	$51,945	$24,332	70%
118	Boise StateBoise, ID · public	$34,568	$36,199	$41,087	$28,050	81%
119	Angelo StateSan Angelo, TX · public	$34,519	$35,566	$51,172	$21,344	62%
120	UT AustinAustin, TX · public	$34,495	$35,541	$56,276	$19,553	57%
121	Shippensburg University of PennsylvaniaShippensburg, PA · public	$34,460	$35,318	$51,186	$27,000	78%
122	Austin PeayClarksville, TN · public	$34,456	$37,505	$46,456	$19,750	57%
123	UCFOrlando, FL · public	$34,335	$33,202	$50,950	$21,965	64%
124	University of Rhode IslandKingston, RI · public	$34,319	$33,554	$49,879	$21,469	63%
125	UT TylerTyler, TX · public	$34,269	$35,308	$41,278	$19,300	56%
126	Bridgewater StateBridgewater, MA · public	$34,215	$32,352	$53,760	$27,000	79%
127	UVACharlottesville, VA · public	$34,028	Not adjusted	$68,242	$19,352	57%
128	Sam Houston StateHuntsville, TX · public	$34,016	$35,047	$56,955	$28,000	82%
129	University of Nevada-RenoReno, NV · public	$33,981	$33,988	$55,130	$18,780	55%
130	Brandeis UniversityWaltham, MA · private nonprofit	$33,903	Not adjusted	$64,484	$23,250	69%
131	SUNY Old WestburyOld Westbury, NY · public	$33,901	$31,413	$48,350	$16,800	50%
132	UNC CharlotteCharlotte, NC · public	$33,791	$35,824	$46,923	$24,457	72%
133	RutgersNew Brunswick, NJ · public	$33,763	$31,031	$58,981	$21,728	64%
134	Kansas StateManhattan, KS · public	$33,744	Not adjusted	$58,231	$19,539	58%
135	Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA · private nonprofit	$33,710	Not adjusted	$60,217	$21,000	62%
136	Commonwealth University of PennsylvaniaBloomsburg, PA · public	$33,634	$34,471	$46,336	$27,000	80%
137	Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · public	$33,586	$34,422	$52,654	$26,000	77%
138	SMUDallas, TX · private nonprofit	$33,550	$34,567	$79,519	$23,250	69%
139	USFTampa, FL · public	$33,474	$32,369	$46,194	$23,015	69%
140	Liberty UniversityLynchburg, VA · private nonprofit	$33,456	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	81%
141	Texas A&M-San AntonioSan Antonio, TX · public	$33,392	$34,405	Not reported	$25,000	75%
142	Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA · public	$33,319	$32,955	$54,461	$20,499	62%
143	University of Illinois SpringfieldSpringfield, IL · public	$33,297	$33,311	$46,558	$23,892	72%
144	Northern Illinois UniversityDekalb, IL · public	$33,288	$33,302	$53,605	$22,500	68%
145	UTSASan Antonio, TX · public	$33,264	$34,273	$54,070	$22,562	68%
146	NC StateRaleigh, NC · public	$33,251	$35,251	$50,095	$19,800	60%
147	East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC · public	$33,219	$35,217	$48,985	$27,000	81%
148	Ramapo College of New JerseyMahwah, NJ · public	$33,145	$30,463	$57,644	$24,000	72%
149	South Dakota StateBrookings, SD · public	$33,135	Not adjusted	$51,355	$26,977	81%
150	University of IowaIowa City, IA · public	$33,117	$37,735	$58,682	$25,978	78%
151	UC Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA · public	$33,081	$29,878	$48,101	$18,279	55%
152	University of Nebraska-LincolnLincoln, NE · public	$33,013	$36,639	$46,214	$20,500	62%
153	Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, MI · public	$33,000	$34,297	$46,744	$25,905	79%
154	LSUBaton Rouge, LA · public	$32,999	$37,411	$55,753	$18,625	56%
155	Indiana University of PennsylvaniaIndiana, PA · public	$32,976	Not adjusted	$43,373	$29,250	89%
156	UW-Green BayGreen Bay, WI · public	$32,930	$34,997	$38,013	$27,000	82%
157	Dalton State CollegeDalton, GA · public	$32,899	$34,166	$40,406	Not reported	Not reported
158	Wheaton College (Massachusetts)Norton, MA · private nonprofit	$32,896	Not adjusted	Not reported	$25,990	79%
159	Bridgewater CollegeBridgewater, VA · private nonprofit	$32,771	$32,413	Not reported	$27,000	82%
160	Kennesaw StateKennesaw, GA · public	$32,752	$34,013	$46,025	$26,485	81%
161	Northern Michigan UniversityMarquette, MI · public	$32,675	Not adjusted	$43,326	$27,000	83%
162	CSU PuebloPueblo, CO · public	$32,603	$31,637	$47,289	$21,000	64%
163	Georgia StateAtlanta, GA · public	$32,602	$33,857	$41,564	$26,500	81%
164	Sacramento StateSacramento, CA · public	$32,596	$29,440	$57,550	$18,000	55%
165	University of AkronAkron, OH · public	$32,577	Not adjusted	$37,660	$23,100	71%
166	Michigan StateEast Lansing, MI · public	$32,434	$33,709	$48,421	$27,000	83%
167	Mount Saint Mary CollegeNewburgh, NY · private nonprofit	$32,383	$30,006	$62,363	$26,999	83%
168	Valdosta StateValdosta, GA · public	$32,340	$33,585	$38,990	$28,125	87%
169	University of MontevalloMontevallo, AL · public	$32,263	Not adjusted	$51,857	Not reported	Not reported
170	UW-OshkoshOshkosh, WI · public	$32,259	$34,283	Not reported	$21,906	68%
171	Saint Anselm CollegeManchester, NH · private nonprofit	$32,228	Not adjusted	$60,766	$25,946	81%
172	UW-MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI · public	$32,201	$34,222	$48,145	$26,000	81%
173	Stanislaus StateTurlock, CA · public	$32,184	$29,068	$53,228	$11,656	36%
174	University at AlbanyAlbany, NY · public	$32,174	$29,813	$54,941	$23,034	72%
175	Eastern Illinois UniversityCharleston, IL · public	$32,149	$32,163	$44,527	$21,500	67%
176	University of Central OklahomaEdmond, OK · public	$32,127	Not adjusted	$44,469	$22,125	69%
177	Sonoma StateRohnert Park, CA · public	$31,992	$28,895	$58,839	$16,304	51%
178	Rhode Island CollegeProvidence, RI · public	$31,981	$31,268	$41,708	$24,141	75%
179	University of Mary WashingtonFredericksburg, VA · public	$31,965	$31,616	$51,227	$23,018	72%
180	UC DavisDavis, CA · public	$31,895	$28,807	$54,357	$14,593	46%
181	IU BloomingtonBloomington, IN · public	$31,880	$34,159	$59,187	$23,754	75%
182	UMGCAdelphi, MD · public	$31,852	Not adjusted	$59,264	$23,750	75%
183	FIUMiami, FL · public	$31,835	$30,784	$49,239	$17,250	54%
184	Southeastern Louisiana UniversityHammond, LA · public	$31,798	$36,049	$39,143	$24,073	76%
185	Utah StateLogan, UT · public	$31,768	$32,133	$44,129	$25,237	79%
186	Stephen F. AustinNacogdoches, TX · public	$31,652	$32,612	$53,714	$25,000	79%
187	Montclair StateMontclair, NJ · public	$31,607	$29,049	$59,040	$25,500	81%
188	William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA · public	$31,595	$31,250	$66,422	$17,750	56%
189	Cal Poly SLOSan Luis Obispo, CA · public	$31,540	$28,486	$58,207	$17,627	56%
190	IU IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN · public	$31,526	$33,779	$55,407	$27,000	86%
191	University of MaineOrono, ME · public	$31,357	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	86%
192	Washington StatePullman, WA · public	$31,220	$29,174	$56,656	$24,000	77%
193	University of CincinnatiCincinnati, OH · public	$31,217	$33,648	Not reported	$23,756	76%
194	University of MichiganAnn Arbor, MI · public	$31,215	$32,442	$65,724	$19,494	62%
195	Miami UniversityOxford, OH · public	$31,194	$33,624	$39,501	$26,000	83%
196	Baldwin Wallace UniversityBerea, OH · private nonprofit	$31,163	$33,590	Not reported	$27,000	87%
197	East Central UniversityAda, OK · public	$31,159	Not adjusted	Not reported	$19,267	62%
198	Loyola ChicagoChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$31,079	Not adjusted	$63,957	$24,000	77%
199	Cal State East BayHayward, CA · public	$31,059	Not adjusted	$52,973	$20,000	64%
200	Millersville University of PennsylvaniaMillersville, PA · public	$30,792	$31,558	$50,876	$26,000	84%
201	Hobart William Smith CollegesGeneva, NY · private nonprofit	$30,710	Not adjusted	$65,922	$27,000	88%
202	Chico StateChico, CA · public	$30,697	$27,725	$46,221	$17,783	58%
203	University of Southern MississippiHattiesburg, MS · public	$30,684	Not adjusted	$38,468	$25,455	83%
204	University of MemphisMemphis, TN · public	$30,652	$33,365	$46,475	$25,000	82%
205	Texas A&M-Corpus ChristiCorpus Christi, TX · public	$30,650	$31,579	$41,299	$27,250	89%
206	University of ArizonaTucson, AZ · public	$30,592	$30,386	$49,272	$25,250	83%
207	UMass DartmouthNorth Dartmouth, MA · public	$30,581	$28,916	$59,458	$25,000	82%
208	Oklahoma StateStillwater, OK · public	$30,522	$34,746	Not reported	$21,465	70%
209	Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL · public	$30,458	$34,291	$47,668	$22,500	74%
210	Central Connecticut StateNew Britain, CT · public	$30,301	$29,245	$49,458	$23,604	78%
211	City College of New YorkNew York, NY · public	$30,290	$28,067	$54,299	$11,487	38%
212	UTEPEl Paso, TX · public	$30,230	$31,147	$46,573	$25,125	83%
213	Bowling Green StateBowling Green, OH · public	$30,226	$32,580	$44,589	$26,000	86%
214	SUNY CortlandCortland, NY · public	$30,192	$27,976	$58,231	$26,000	86%
215	Wofford CollegeSpartanburg, SC · private nonprofit	$30,189	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
216	Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleCarbondale, IL · public	$30,101	$30,114	$43,377	$25,937	86%
217	University of Puget SoundTacoma, WA · private nonprofit	$29,909	Not adjusted	Not reported	$20,500	69%
218	Vermont StateRandolph, VT · public	$29,907	Not adjusted	$39,169	Not reported	Not reported
219	UC RiversideRiverside, CA · public	$29,824	$26,936	$52,531	$19,330	65%
220	VCURichmond, VA · public	$29,794	$29,469	$42,698	$23,750	80%
221	University of New MexicoAlbuquerque, NM · public	$29,793	$32,309	$48,479	$20,345	68%
222	UC Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA · public	$29,749	$26,869	$57,621	$14,500	49%
223	University of South AlabamaMobile, AL · public	$29,744	$33,487	$43,909	$26,000	87%
224	Montana StateBozeman, MT · public	$29,692	$31,372	$45,865	$22,500	76%
225	Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, KY · public	$29,619	$32,852	$44,967	$30,375	103%
226	University of PittsburghPittsburgh, PA · public	$29,591	$30,327	$49,444	$24,400	82%
227	Cleveland StateCleveland, OH · public	$29,535	$31,835	Not reported	$25,000	85%
228	Duquesne UniversityPittsburgh, PA · private nonprofit	$29,451	$30,184	$58,592	$27,000	92%
229	Franciscan University of SteubenvilleSteubenville, OH · private nonprofit	$29,424	Not adjusted	Not reported	$24,000	82%
230	Christopher Newport UniversityNewport News, VA · public	$29,386	$29,065	$51,200	$26,000	88%
231	Eastern Kentucky UniversityRichmond, KY · public	$29,346	$32,549	$42,558	$27,000	92%
232	University of Central ArkansasConway, AR · public	$29,337	$33,745	$37,357	$27,000	92%
233	Salem StateSalem, MA · public	$29,307	$27,712	$54,844	$27,000	92%
234	Rhodes CollegeMemphis, TN · private nonprofit	$29,279	Not adjusted	Not reported	$23,104	79%
235	Texas A&M International UniversityLaredo, TX · public	$29,180	$30,065	$51,026	$18,107	62%
236	Siena UniversityLoudonville, NY · private nonprofit	$29,134	$26,996	$60,145	$27,000	93%
237	Jacksonville StateJacksonville, AL · public	$29,057	$32,713	$45,173	$31,000	107%
238	JMUHarrisonburg, VA · public	$29,000	$28,683	$57,370	$20,500	71%
239	UW-Eau ClaireEau Claire, WI · public	$28,998	Not adjusted	$39,213	$23,112	80%
240	St. Mary's College of MarylandSt. Mary's City, MD · public	$28,929	$27,562	Not reported	$23,943	83%
241	Stockton UniversityGalloway, NJ · public	$28,897	$26,559	$51,856	$27,000	93%
242	Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ · public	$28,862	$28,668	$39,733	$21,250	74%
243	University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY · public	$28,857	$26,739	$50,679	$23,392	81%
244	UC BerkeleyBerkeley, CA · public	$28,849	$26,056	$62,873	$13,068	45%
245	Penn StateUniversity Park, PA · public	$28,803	$29,520	$46,877	$26,322	91%
246	Hunter CollegeNew York, NY · public	$28,790	$26,677	$64,752	$10,500	36%
247	San Francisco StateSan Francisco, CA · public	$28,718	$25,938	$59,616	$15,000	52%
248	University of TennesseeKnoxville, TN · public	$28,713	$31,254	$43,336	$19,000	66%
249	Emmanuel CollegeBoston, MA · private nonprofit	$28,695	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	94%
250	Augusta UniversityAugusta, GA · public	$28,689	Not adjusted	$42,147	$26,000	91%
251	SUNY College at GeneseoGeneseo, NY · public	$28,664	$26,560	$56,767	$23,250	81%
252	University of New HampshireDurham, NH · public	$28,663	$27,517	$53,066	$25,000	87%
253	University of MontanaMissoula, MT · public	$28,508	$30,121	$42,045	$26,500	93%
254	Gettysburg CollegeGettysburg, PA · private nonprofit	$28,497	Not adjusted	$51,857	$27,000	95%
255	Kent StateKent, OH · public	$28,476	$30,694	$44,024	$27,000	95%
256	Appalachian StateBoone, NC · public	$28,454	$30,166	$39,254	$20,400	72%
257	College of CharlestonCharleston, SC · public	$28,449	$30,346	$45,417	$27,000	95%
258	Ball StateMuncie, IN · public	$28,444	$30,477	$42,879	$21,750	76%
259	University of KentuckyLexington, KY · public	$28,432	$31,535	$55,642	$20,500	72%
260	University of South DakotaVermillion, SD · public	$28,431	Not adjusted	$44,104	$27,000	95%
261	Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI · public	$28,414	$29,531	$44,105	$29,118	102%
262	SUNY PlattsburghPlattsburgh, NY · public	$28,400	$26,316	$48,863	$23,439	83%
263	Winthrop UniversityRock Hill, SC · public	$28,322	$30,210	$45,693	$27,000	95%
264	Mississippi StateMississippi State, MS · public	$28,295	$32,541	$36,014	$21,469	76%
265	University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT · public	$28,277	$28,602	$51,794	$22,250	79%
266	University of VermontBurlington, VT · public	$28,254	Not adjusted	$50,519	$20,497	73%
267	SUNY OswegoOswego, NY · public	$28,242	$26,169	$47,927	$27,000	96%
268	Radford UniversityRadford, VA · public	$28,239	$27,931	$47,407	$20,500	73%
269	UNC AshevilleAsheville, NC · public	$28,205	$29,902	$42,899	$16,690	59%
270	UABBirmingham, AL · public	$28,121	$31,660	$47,929	$28,175	100%
271	UCLALos Angeles, CA · public	$28,116	$25,394	$65,039	$14,277	51%
272	Southern Oregon UniversityAshland, OR · public	$28,067	Not adjusted	Not reported	$21,500	77%
273	College of WoosterWooster, OH · private nonprofit	$28,013	Not adjusted	$48,091	$26,720	95%
273	UW-La CrosseLa Crosse, WI · public	$28,013	$29,771	$43,014	$26,924	96%
275	Cal State Dominguez HillsCarson, CA · public	$27,975	$25,266	$56,749	$14,635	52%
276	Florida StateTallahassee, FL · public	$27,944	$27,021	$49,734	$19,907	71%
277	Missouri StateSpringfield, MO · public	$27,941	$30,766	Not reported	$27,000	97%
278	University of North AlabamaFlorence, AL · public	$27,927	Not adjusted	$41,584	$19,350	69%
279	Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA · private nonprofit	$27,882	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	97%
280	Salisbury UniversitySalisbury, MD · public	$27,873	$26,556	$49,213	$24,125	87%
280	University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR · public	$27,873	$32,061	$51,587	$26,000	93%
282	Pennsylvania Western UniversityCalifornia, PA · public	$27,871	Not adjusted	$38,312	Not reported	Not reported
283	UMSLSaint Louis, MO · public	$27,851	$30,667	$44,312	$28,738	103%
284	Murray StateMurray, KY · public	$27,831	$30,869	Not reported	$25,500	92%
285	East Tennessee StateJohnson City, TN · public	$27,799	$30,259	$42,492	$20,500	74%
286	University of TampaTampa, FL · private nonprofit	$27,787	Not adjusted	Not reported	$20,500	74%
287	Queens CollegeQueens, NY · public	$27,769	$25,731	$65,641	$13,000	47%
288	East Stroudsburg University of PennsylvaniaEast Stroudsburg, PA · public	$27,711	Not adjusted	$41,638	$27,000	97%
289	University of South CarolinaColumbia, SC · public	$27,652	$29,496	$51,175	$22,550	82%
290	UMass LowellLowell, MA · public	$27,586	$26,084	$55,194	$24,250	88%
291	UConnStorrs, CT · public	$27,581	$26,620	$56,032	$22,470	81%
292	University of Northern IowaCedar Falls, IA · public	$27,569	$31,413	$50,182	$21,776	79%
293	University of FloridaGainesville, FL · public	$27,360	$26,457	$57,470	$19,022	70%
294	Grand Valley StateAllendale, MI · public	$27,341	$28,416	$40,634	$26,500	97%
295	University of West FloridaPensacola, FL · public	$27,340	$26,437	$41,971	$17,313	63%
296	UNC PembrokePembroke, NC · public	$27,241	Not adjusted	Not reported	$27,000	99%
297	Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KY · public	$27,177	$30,143	$44,446	$22,965	85%
298	Wright StateDayton, OH · public	$27,157	Not adjusted	$34,062	$19,276	71%
299	Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI · public	$27,087	Not adjusted	Not reported	$31,000	114%
300	Cal State FullertonFullerton, CA · public	$27,083	$24,461	$50,071	$14,524	54%
301	University of MissouriColumbia, MO · public	$26,996	$29,726	$54,751	$21,250	79%
302	University of GeorgiaAthens, GA · public	$26,983	$28,022	$53,670	$20,500	76%
303	UT ChattanoogaChattanooga, TN · public	$26,952	Not adjusted	$50,281	Not reported	Not reported
304	Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleEdwardsville, IL · public	$26,916	$26,927	$46,076	$21,500	80%
305	Cal State LALos Angeles, CA · public	$26,862	$24,261	$45,986	$14,721	55%
306	UMass AmherstAmherst, MA · public	$26,805	$25,346	$53,722	$22,750	85%
307	Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, GA · public	$26,784	$27,815	$46,597	$24,241	91%
308	Kutztown University of PennsylvaniaKutztown, PA · public	$26,761	$27,427	$42,015	$27,000	101%
309	Ohio StateColumbus, OH · public	$26,663	$28,740	$47,823	$21,500	81%
310	University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MN · public	$26,635	$27,007	$49,085	$19,500	73%
311	UICChicago, IL · public	$26,474	$26,485	$53,943	$19,500	74%
312	University of Arkansas-Fort SmithFort Smith, AR · public	$26,445	Not adjusted	$43,211	$19,700	74%
313	University of ScrantonScranton, PA · private nonprofit	$26,442	Not adjusted	$64,246	$25,000	95%
314	UIUCChampaign, IL · public	$26,436	$26,447	$58,586	$19,000	72%
315	University of WashingtonSeattle, WA · public	$26,261	$24,540	$54,198	$15,000	57%
316	TCNJEwing, NJ · public	$26,218	$24,096	$59,014	$25,000	95%
317	Eastern Connecticut StateWillimantic, CT · public	$26,186	$25,274	$49,914	$25,000	95%
318	Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA · private nonprofit	$26,131	Not adjusted	$58,527	$19,000	73%
319	UC MercedMerced, CA · public	$26,103	$23,576	Not reported	$15,455	59%
320	UTRGVEdinburg, TX · public	$26,081	$26,872	$42,544	$18,125	69%
321	George MasonFairfax, VA · public	$25,992	$25,708	$58,724	$24,625	95%
322	Roanoke CollegeSalem, VA · private nonprofit	$25,940	Not adjusted	$48,394	$27,000	104%
323	Cal Poly PomonaPomona, CA · public	$25,728	$23,237	$57,294	$15,000	58%
324	Stetson UniversityDeLand, FL · private nonprofit	$25,696	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
325	University of North FloridaJacksonville, FL · public	$25,689	$24,841	$43,692	$13,000	51%
326	University of OregonEugene, OR · public	$25,571	$24,740	$49,179	$18,675	73%
327	University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL · public	$25,533	$28,746	$56,524	$20,568	81%
328	Ripon CollegeRipon, WI · private nonprofit	$25,421	Not adjusted	$48,578	$26,838	106%
329	Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA · public	$25,355	$23,693	$45,193	$17,860	70%
330	UNC GreensboroGreensboro, NC · public	$25,089	$26,598	$42,385	$24,750	99%
331	UNC WilmingtonWilmington, NC · public	$25,047	$26,554	$43,071	$24,500	98%
332	Cal State Long BeachLong Beach, CA · public	$25,014	$22,592	$48,818	$15,000	60%
333	Truman StateKirksville, MO · public	$25,010	Not adjusted	$45,494	$21,125	84%
334	Westfield StateWestfield, MA · public	$24,879	$23,525	$50,185	$25,000	100%
335	East Texas A&M UniversityCommerce, TX · public	$24,801	$25,553	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
336	Tennessee Technological UniversityCookeville, TN · public	$24,659	Not adjusted	$41,502	$17,194	70%
337	FAUBoca Raton, FL · public	$24,639	$23,826	$53,393	$18,075	73%
338	Portland StatePortland, OR · public	$24,612	$23,812	$45,602	$31,000	126%
339	Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY · public	$24,498	$22,700	$60,363	$19,596	80%
340	UMKCKansas City, MO · public	$24,289	Not adjusted	$45,503	$25,445	105%
341	WVUMorgantown, WV · public	$24,215	Not adjusted	$51,634	$22,250	92%
342	Coastal Carolina UniversityConway, SC · public	$24,172	$25,784	$44,119	$26,000	108%
343	Cal State Channel IslandsCamarillo, CA · public	$24,134	$21,797	$53,872	$17,854	74%
344	Cal State San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA · public	$24,077	$21,746	$51,326	$13,141	55%
345	Ohio UniversityAthens, OH · public	$24,075	$25,950	$41,060	$26,000	108%
346	Georgia CollegeMilledgeville, GA · public	$23,907	$24,827	$47,418	$25,000	105%
347	SUNY Purchase CollegePurchase, NY · public	$23,803	$22,056	Not reported	$22,076	93%
348	UA Little RockLittle Rock, AR · public	$23,785	$27,359	$33,689	$27,000	114%
349	UC IrvineIrvine, CA · public	$23,480	$21,207	$68,186	$15,929	68%
350	Mount Holyoke CollegeSouth Hadley, MA · private nonprofit	$23,337	Not adjusted	$47,352	$23,250	100%
351	Hofstra UniversityHempstead, NY · private nonprofit	$23,113	Not adjusted	$67,298	$25,418	110%
352	SUNY BrockportBrockport, NY · public	$22,976	$21,290	$45,592	$25,446	111%
353	Willamette UniversitySalem, OR · private nonprofit	$22,555	Not adjusted	$58,518	$18,750	83%
354	Cal State San MarcosSan Marcos, CA · public	$22,407	$20,238	$43,090	$16,923	76%
355	University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY · public	$22,047	$24,453	$49,417	$23,312	106%
356	UL LafayetteLafayette, LA · public	$21,750	Not adjusted	$44,299	$14,500	67%
357	UC San DiegoLa Jolla, CA · public	$21,713	$19,611	$60,566	$17,467	80%
358	Fresno StateFresno, CA · public	$21,642	$19,547	$48,521	$20,127	93%
359	Le Moyne CollegeSyracuse, NY · private nonprofit	$21,225	$19,667	Not reported	$26,900	127%
360	Cal Poly HumboldtArcata, CA · public	$20,972	$18,941	$42,640	$15,000	72%
361	Allegheny CollegeMeadville, PA · private nonprofit	$20,713	Not adjusted	$55,059	$27,000	130%
362	Baylor UniversityWaco, TX · private nonprofit	$20,391	$21,009	$55,059	$24,625	121%
363	SUNY New PaltzNew Paltz, NY · public	$20,124	$18,647	$49,161	$19,303	96%
364	Fordham UniversityBronx, NY · private nonprofit	$20,075	$18,602	$71,979	$26,000	130%
365	Manhattanville UniversityPurchase, NY · private nonprofit	$19,473	Not adjusted	$50,869	Not reported	Not reported
366	University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA · private nonprofit	$19,222	Not adjusted	$63,345	$21,250	111%
367	Albright CollegeReading, PA · private nonprofit	$19,041	Not adjusted	$48,991	$27,000	142%
368	Brooklyn CollegeBrooklyn, NY · public	$18,674	$17,303	$63,697	Not reported	Not reported
369	University of RochesterRochester, NY · private nonprofit	$16,253	Not adjusted	Not reported	$22,421	138%
370	University of Nevada-Las VegasLas Vegas, NV · public	$16,100	$16,103	$53,402	$19,099	119%

Pay after cost of living divides first-year pay by the Bureau of Economic Analysis price level of the school's state, where the US average is 100. It is shown for 262 programs where at least half of the graduates who work are working in the school's state. The other 108, whose graduates mostly work in other states or whose state has no price level, are listed last when you sort by it.

16 programs report pay but not debt, so they are ranked only by pay.

College Scorecard withholds pay for programs with too few graduates, to protect their privacy, so those programs can't be ranked.

History (Bachelor's) programs by state

Each row is the median across the state's history bachelor's programs. State names link to the full ranking of that state's programs.

#	State	Programs	Year 1 pay	Debt
1	Arizona	5	$39,283	$28,513
2	Colorado	8	$36,909	$23,750
3	Indiana	6	$35,509	$23,754
4	New Jersey	11	$34,934	$25,500
5	Texas	23	$34,269	$23,250
6	Maryland	6	$34,200	$23,847
7	Massachusetts	20	$34,059	$24,931
8	Illinois	13	$33,288	$22,500
9	North Carolina	11	$33,219	$24,004
10	Georgia	11	$32,602	$25,500
11	Wisconsin	10	$32,595	$24,655
12	Michigan	10	$32,555	$27,000
13	Connecticut	6	$32,479	$23,037
14	Virginia	16	$32,368	$24,188
15	Washington	6	$30,565	$23,804
16	New York	35	$30,192	$23,250
17	South Carolina	9	$30,189	$25,524
18	Ohio	12	$29,480	$26,000
19	Pennsylvania	19	$29,451	$27,000
20	Alabama	8	$29,401	$26,000
21	Tennessee	9	$29,279	$19,750
22	California	30	$28,417	$15,929
23	Kentucky	6	$28,132	$25,500
24	Florida	11	$27,787	$19,465
25	Missouri	6	$27,424	$27,000
26	Oregon	5	$25,571	$22,916

Programs in 22 more states and territories report pay, but too few to rank. A state ranking needs at least five programs that report both pay and debt.

Quick picks nationwide

Lowest median debt

Hunter College, NY$10,500
UPenn, PA$11,000
City College of New York, NY$11,487
Stanislaus State, CA$11,656
Yale University, CT$12,000
USC, CA$12,638
Harvard University, MA$12,721
Duke University, NC$13,000
Queens College, NY$13,000
University of North Florida, FL$13,000

Lowest debt for the pay

Only the 297 programs with their own page here are included. "Debt for the pay" is median debt divided by first-year pay.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to history, largest first. Pay is the median across the US and all experience levels.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$72,040

Median pay in the US. 1,065,210 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 63,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $48,780Top 10%: $107,600

Natural Sciences Managers

$167,220

Median pay in the US. 108,690 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $79,710Top 10%: $316,850

Tour and Travel Guides

$38,120

Median pay in the US. 53,500 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 11,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: high school diploma or equivalent.

Bottom 10%: $28,520Top 10%: $60,930

Museum Technicians and Conservators

$51,440

Median pay in the US. 12,310 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,600 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $33,780Top 10%: $87,530

Common questions

The median history bachelor's program in the US pays its graduates $31,710 in their first year and $50,314 five years after.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid, and earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Medians are across programs, not students: each program counts once, however many graduates it has.
National medians include every program in the 50 states, DC, and US territories, including schools that have since closed. Schools with several campuses that report one combined figure are counted once.
Programs are ranked by College Scorecard median pay one year after graduation. Pay after cost of living uses the price level of the school's state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025. Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024