Is a history degree from Metropolitan State University of Denver worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 80% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 73%. Compare the cost with other Colorado programs before deciding.

Metropolitan State University of Denver History (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: How much debt do Metropolitan State University of Denver history graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $34,125, which ranks 7th lowest of 7 history bachelor's programs in Colorado. That works out to about $362 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do Metropolitan State University of Denver history graduates stay in Colorado?

Most do. 87% (54 of 62) were working in Colorado one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in History
Public university
Denver, CO
About 59 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Metropolitan State University of Denver history graduates earn more than graduates of most history programs nationally, $42,785 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $34,125 in federal loans, more than at more than 99% of history programs in the country. It is one of the higher-paying history degrees in Colorado.

First-year earnings$42,78592nd percentile of 370 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$42,762About the same as year one

Median federal debt$34,1257th lowest of 7 Colorado programs

Debt-to-earnings80%Colorado median 64%, national 73%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Colorado and national columns are the medians across all history bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Metropolitan State University of Denver	Colorado	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$42,785	$36,909	$31,710
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$42,762	$46,418	$50,314
Median federal debt at graduation	$34,125	$23,750	$23,973
Debt as share of first-year pay	80%	64%	73%
Programs compared		8	370

Five years out, Metropolitan State University of Denver graduates earn less than the national figure and about $3,656 less than the Colorado median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Colorado history program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Colorado medians.

Metropolitan State University of DenverOther Colorado programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay is about the same in the first and fifth year.

Metropolitan State University of Denver grads, year 1$42,785

Metropolitan State University of Denver grads, year 5$42,762

All Colorado history grads, year 5$46,418

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $362 a month, or 10.2% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (92 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	20–39%
Paused payments (forbearance)	20–39%
In default	20% or less

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

87% of graduates (54 of 62) were working in Colorado one year after graduating. Prices in the Denver area are about 6% above the national average, so a $42,785 salary here buys what about $40,446 buys in a typical US city.

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 all experience levels.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$72,900

Median pay in Colorado. 18,310 people work in this job in Colorado. 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%: $48,970Top 10%: $101,300

Natural Sciences Managers

$152,730

Median pay in Colorado. 1,640 people work in this job in Colorado. 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%: $89,900Top 10%: $289,970

Tour and Travel Guides

$42,840

Median pay in Colorado. 2,150 people work in this job in Colorado. 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%: $31,380Top 10%: $55,600

Museum Technicians and Conservators

$51,990

Median pay in Colorado. 290 people work in this job in Colorado. 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%: $36,250Top 10%: $77,870

About Metropolitan State University of Denver

In-state tuition and fees	$11,124 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$30,684 / year
Average net price after aid	$15,327 / year
Admission rate	99%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	32%
Undergraduate students	15,002

History ranks 21st of 48 bachelor's programs at Metropolitan State University of Denver by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($77,333), Electrical Engineering Technology ($75,966), and Computer Science ($73,874).

Other history bachelor's programs near Denver

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Metropolitan State University of DenverDenver, CO · public		$42,785	$34,125
CU DenverDenver, CO · public	9 mi	$38,627	$23,750
CU BoulderBoulder, CO · public	23 mi	$37,044	$17,905
University of Northern ColoradoGreeley, CO · public	49 mi	$35,403	$23,804
Colorado StateFort Collins, CO · public	58 mi	$36,272	$24,152
UCCSColorado Springs, CO · public	60 mi	$38,276	$21,250

Common questions

The median graduate earns $42,785 one year after graduating and $42,762 five years after. The median across history bachelor's programs in Colorado is $36,909.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Colorado comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the history program.

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
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

History bachelor's programs in Colorado, ranked8 programs by pay and debt History bachelor's programs in the US, ranked370 programs by pay and debt All Metropolitan State University of Denver programs, ranked48 programs by pay and debt