How much debt do University of Georgia history graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $20,500, which ranks the lowest of 10 history bachelor's programs in Georgia. That works out to about $217 a month over 10 years.

Is a history degree from University of Georgia worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 76% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 73%. Compare the cost with other Georgia programs before deciding.

University of Georgia History (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do University of Georgia history graduates stay in Georgia?

Most do. 83% (50 of 60) were working in Georgia one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in History
Public university
Athens, GA
About 77 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

University of Georgia history graduates earn less than graduates of most history programs nationally, $26,983 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $20,500 in federal loans, close to the national median of $23,973. Several Georgia programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$26,98318th percentile of 370 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$53,67099% more than year one

Median federal debt$20,500The lowest of 10 Georgia programs

Debt-to-earnings76%Georgia median 83%, national 73%

How it compares

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

	University of Georgia	Georgia	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$26,983	$32,602	$31,710
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$53,670	$47,008	$50,314
Median federal debt at graduation	$20,500	$25,500	$23,973
Debt as share of first-year pay	76%	83%	73%
Programs compared		11	370

Five years out, University of Georgia graduates earn more than the national figure and about $6,663 more than the Georgia median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Georgia history program

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

University of GeorgiaOther Georgia 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 rises about 99% between the first and fifth year.

University of Georgia grads, year 1$26,983

University of Georgia grads, year 5$53,670

All Georgia history grads, year 5$47,008

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

Does family income change the outcome?

Graduates who received Pell Grants, which go to students from lower-income families, earned $3,725 less in their first year than other graduates. They also borrowed more. Students who expect to rely on grants should weigh this gap.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$23,726Median debt $25,000

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$27,451Median debt $17,356

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $217 a month, or 9.7% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (71 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	20–39%
Paused payments (forbearance)	20% or less
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

83% of graduates (50 of 60) were working in Georgia one year after graduating. Prices in the Athens area are about 7% below the national average, so a $26,983 salary here buys what about $28,907 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

$75,480

Median pay in Georgia. 25,730 people work in this job in Georgia. 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%: $49,450Top 10%: $96,820

Natural Sciences Managers

$167,220

Median pay nationwide. 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.

Tour and Travel Guides

$40,190

Median pay in Georgia. 1,080 people work in this job in Georgia. 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%: $28,430Top 10%: $79,510

Museum Technicians and Conservators

$49,270

Median pay in Georgia. 150 people work in this job in Georgia. 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%: $31,200Top 10%: $96,430

About University of Georgia

In-state tuition and fees	$11,450 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$31,688 / year
Average net price after aid	$13,936 / year
Admission rate	38%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	90%
Undergraduate students	32,137

History ranks 55th of 65 bachelor's programs at University of Georgia by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Science ($79,546), Management Information Systems ($78,190), and Computer Engineering ($77,882).

Other history bachelor's programs near Athens

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
University of GeorgiaAthens, GA · public		$26,983	$20,500
University of North GeorgiaDahlonega, GA · public	53 mi	$38,226	$22,312
Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA · private nonprofit	56 mi	$33,710	$21,000
Clemson UniversityClemson, SC · public	59 mi	$36,199	$24,550
Georgia StateAtlanta, GA · public	60 mi	$32,602	$26,500

Common questions

The median graduate earns $26,983 one year after graduating and $53,670 five years after. The median across history bachelor's programs in Georgia is $32,602.

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 Georgia 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 Georgia, ranked11 programs by pay and debt History bachelor's programs in the US, ranked370 programs by pay and debt All University of Georgia programs, ranked73 programs by pay and debt