How much debt do University of Oregon history graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $18,675, which ranks the lowest of 5 history bachelor's programs in Oregon. That works out to about $198 a month over 10 years.

Is a history degree from University of Oregon worth it?

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

Do University of Oregon history graduates stay in Oregon?

Most do. 70% (31 of 44) were working in Oregon one year after graduating.

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

Bachelor's in History
Public university
Eugene, OR
About 66 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

University of Oregon history graduates earn less than graduates of most history programs nationally, $25,571 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $18,675 in federal loans, less than at 84% of history programs in the country. Strong value, but not one of the highest-paying history degrees in Oregon.

First-year earnings$25,57112th percentile of 370 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$49,17992% more than year one

Median federal debt$18,675The lowest of 5 Oregon programs

Debt-to-earnings73%Oregon median 77%, national 73%

How it compares

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

	University of Oregon	Oregon	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$25,571	$25,571	$31,710
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$49,179	$49,258	$50,314
Median federal debt at graduation	$18,675	$22,916	$23,973
Debt as share of first-year pay	73%	77%	73%
Programs compared		5	370

Five years out, University of Oregon graduates earn about the national figure and about the same as the Oregon median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Oregon history program

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

University of OregonOther Oregon 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 92% between the first and fifth year.

University of Oregon grads, year 1$25,571

University of Oregon grads, year 5$49,179

All Oregon history grads, year 5$49,258

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 $198 a month, or 9.3% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (54 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. Separately, 22 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $25,608.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

70% of graduates (31 of 44) were working in Oregon one year after graduating. Prices in the Eugene area are about 2% above the national average, so a $25,571 salary here buys what about $25,176 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

$79,570

Median pay in Oregon. 11,730 people work in this job in Oregon. 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%: $49,640Top 10%: $101,310

Natural Sciences Managers

$143,120

Median pay in Oregon. 1,700 people work in this job in Oregon. 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%: $102,760Top 10%: $225,560

Tour and Travel Guides

$39,260

Median pay in Oregon. 530 people work in this job in Oregon. 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%: $30,920Top 10%: $64,620

Museum Technicians and Conservators

$45,820

Median pay in Oregon. 170 people work in this job in Oregon. 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%: $34,720Top 10%: $69,320

About University of Oregon

In-state tuition and fees	$16,137 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$44,598 / year
Average net price after aid	$22,182 / year
Admission rate	88%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	72%
Undergraduate students	20,497

History ranks 28th of 34 bachelor's programs at University of Oregon by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer and Information Science ($70,055), Accounting ($58,449), and Architecture ($51,933).

Other history bachelor's programs near Eugene

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
University of OregonEugene, OR · public		$25,571	$18,675
Oregon StateCorvallis, OR · public	37 mi	$34,589	$24,332

Common questions

The median graduate earns $25,571 one year after graduating and $49,179 five years after. The median across history bachelor's programs in Oregon is $25,571.

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 Oregon 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 Oregon, ranked5 programs by pay and debt History bachelor's programs in the US, ranked370 programs by pay and debt All University of Oregon programs, ranked34 programs by pay and debt