How much debt do Murray State history graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $25,500, which ranks 4th lowest of 6 history bachelor's programs in Kentucky. That works out to about $270 a month over 10 years.

Is a history degree from Murray State worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 92% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 73%. Compare the cost with other Kentucky programs before deciding.

Murray State History (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do Murray State history graduates stay in Kentucky?

Most do. 68% (17 of 25) were working in Kentucky one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in History
Public university
Murray, KY
About 15 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Murray State history graduates earn less than graduates of most history programs nationally, $27,831 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $25,500 in federal loans, close to the national median of $23,973. Several Kentucky programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$27,83123rd percentile of 370 programs nationally

Median federal debt$25,5004th lowest of 6 Kentucky programs

Debt-to-earnings92%Kentucky median 92%, national 73%

How it compares

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

	Murray State	Kentucky	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$27,831	$28,132	$31,710
Median federal debt at graduation	$25,500	$25,500	$23,973
Debt as share of first-year pay	92%	92%	73%
Programs compared		6	370

Debt and first-year pay at every Kentucky history program

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

Murray StateOther Kentucky programs

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

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $270 a month, or 11.6% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

68% of graduates (17 of 25) were working in Kentucky one year after graduating. Prices in the parts of Kentucky outside metro areas are about 15% below the national average, so a $27,831 salary here buys what about $32,646 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

$61,560

Median pay in Kentucky. 12,780 people work in this job in Kentucky. 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%: $47,130Top 10%: $83,310

Natural Sciences Managers

$126,440

Median pay in Kentucky. 400 people work in this job in Kentucky. 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%: $55,180Top 10%: $197,760

Tour and Travel Guides

$36,070

Median pay in Kentucky. 1,010 people work in this job in Kentucky. 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%: $28,090Top 10%: $47,690

Museum Technicians and Conservators

$49,940

Median pay in Kentucky. 80 people work in this job in Kentucky. 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%: $28,320Top 10%: $74,770

About Murray State

In-state tuition and fees	$9,900 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$19,836 / year
Average net price after aid	$9,096 / year
Admission rate	86%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	61%
Undergraduate students	6,688

History ranks 27th of 31 bachelor's programs at Murray State by first-year earnings. The top three are Electromechanical Technology ($79,974), Nursing ($68,608), and Quality Control and Safety Technology ($66,418).

Other history bachelor's programs near Murray

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Murray StateMurray, KY · public		$27,831	$25,500
Austin PeayClarksville, TN · public	54 mi	$34,456	$19,750

Common questions

The median graduate earns $27,831 one year after graduating. The median across history bachelor's programs in Kentucky is $28,132.

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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky, ranked6 programs by pay and debt History bachelor's programs in the US, ranked370 programs by pay and debt All Murray State programs, ranked31 programs by pay and debt