How much debt do UMass Lowell history graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $24,250, which ranks 9th lowest of 19 history bachelor's programs in Massachusetts. That works out to about $257 a month over 10 years.

Is a history degree from UMass Lowell worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 88% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 73%. Compare the cost with other Massachusetts programs before deciding.

UMass Lowell History (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do UMass Lowell history graduates stay in Massachusetts?

Most do. 88% (21 of 24) were working in Massachusetts one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in History
Public university
Lowell, MA
About 30 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

UMass Lowell history graduates earn less than graduates of most history programs nationally, $27,586 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $24,250 in federal loans, close to the national median of $23,973. Several Massachusetts programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$27,58622nd percentile of 370 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$55,194100% more than year one

Median federal debt$24,2509th lowest of 19 Massachusetts programs

Debt-to-earnings88%Massachusetts median 78%, national 73%

How it compares

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

	UMass Lowell	Massachusetts	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$27,586	$34,059	$31,710
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$55,194	$55,180	$50,314
Median federal debt at graduation	$24,250	$24,931	$23,973
Debt as share of first-year pay	88%	78%	73%
Programs compared		20	370

Five years out, UMass Lowell graduates earn more than the national figure and about the same as the Massachusetts median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Massachusetts history program

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

UMass LowellOther Massachusetts 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 100% between the first and fifth year.

UMass Lowell grads, year 1$27,586

UMass Lowell grads, year 5$55,194

All Massachusetts history grads, year 5$55,180

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 $257 a month, or 11.2% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (35 borrowers)	Share
Paying down the balance	40–59%

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

88% of graduates (21 of 24) were working in Massachusetts one year after graduating. Prices in the Boston area are about 8% above the national average, so a $27,586 salary here buys what about $25,480 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

$95,260

Median pay in Massachusetts. 28,460 people work in this job in Massachusetts. 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%: $61,500Top 10%: $122,660

Natural Sciences Managers

$267,290

Median pay in Massachusetts. 10,590 people work in this job in Massachusetts. 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%: $153,490Top 10%: $329,820

Tour and Travel Guides

$37,840

Median pay in Massachusetts. 1,760 people work in this job in Massachusetts. 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%: $33,510Top 10%: $50,960

Museum Technicians and Conservators

$58,530

Median pay in Massachusetts. 440 people work in this job in Massachusetts. 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%: $45,740Top 10%: $83,470

About UMass Lowell

In-state tuition and fees	$16,966 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$36,264 / year
Average net price after aid	$17,163 / year
Admission rate	83%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	65%
Undergraduate students	11,434

History ranks 27th of 27 bachelor's programs at UMass Lowell by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Science ($86,167), Computer Engineering ($85,280), and Electrical Engineering ($82,798).

Other history bachelor's programs near Lowell

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
UMass LowellLowell, MA · public		$27,586	$24,250
Tufts UniversityMedford, MA · private nonprofit	20 mi	$41,447	$15,750
Brandeis UniversityWaltham, MA · private nonprofit	20 mi	$33,903	$23,250
Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA · private nonprofit	22 mi	$53,468	$12,721
Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA · private nonprofit	23 mi	$41,341	$19,000
Fitchburg StateFitchburg, MA · public	24 mi	$46,184	$21,635
Emmanuel CollegeBoston, MA · private nonprofit	24 mi	$28,695	$27,000
Salem StateSalem, MA · public	24 mi	$29,307	$27,000
Framingham StateFramingham, MA · public	25 mi	$34,836	$27,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $27,586 one year after graduating and $55,194 five years after. The median across history bachelor's programs in Massachusetts is $34,059.

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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts, ranked20 programs by pay and debt History bachelor's programs in the US, ranked370 programs by pay and debt All UMass Lowell programs, ranked29 programs by pay and debt