History: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 54.01. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 2,392 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 64 | 592 | $41,661 | $53,929 | $21,924 1 programs |
| Associate's degree | 251 | 2,382 | $31,926 | $38,929 | $15,474 2 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 1,320 | 23,367 | $38,156 | $50,680 | $21,723 392 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 12 | 0 | Data unavailable | $51,139 | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 458 | 3,642 | $48,561 | $55,360 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 197 | 793 | $61,835 | $70,550 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 4 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 86 | 215 | $57,625 | $64,756 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Valley State University MI · Public · 34 graduates measured | $42,333 | Data unavailable | $21,924 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excelsior University NY · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $71,394 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Dartmouth College NH · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $69,917 | $136,403 | $12,000 |
| Bentley University MA · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $68,567 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Middlebury College VT · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $67,215 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Yale University CT · Private, nonprofit · 37 graduates measured | $61,357 | $109,947 | $7,500 |
| Brown University RI · Private, nonprofit · 37 graduates measured | $60,823 | $85,520 | Data unavailable |
| New York University NY · Private, nonprofit · 28 graduates measured | $59,101 | $74,545 | $21,500 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 58 graduates measured | $58,276 | $98,079 | $21,500 |
| Williams College MA · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $57,743 | $59,535 | $9,500 |
| College of the Holy Cross MA · Private, nonprofit · 58 graduates measured | $56,591 | $72,423 | $21,500 |
| Vanderbilt University TN · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $56,304 | $69,820 | Data unavailable |
| Columbia College MO · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $56,029 | $46,794 | $25,000 |
| University of Pennsylvania PA · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $55,825 | $88,517 | Data unavailable |
| Barnard College NY · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $55,515 | $62,258 | Data unavailable |
| Texas A&M University-San Antonio TX · Public · 48 graduates measured | $55,016 | $50,062 | $26,125 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pace University NY · Private, nonprofit · 119 graduates measured | $76,624 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Fort Hays State University KS · Public · 17 graduates measured | $67,007 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Ashland University OH · Private, nonprofit · 51 graduates measured | $63,346 | $70,522 | Data unavailable |
| University of Massachusetts-Boston MA · Public · 22 graduates measured | $62,729 | $52,407 | Data unavailable |
| American Public University System WV · Private, for-profit · 126 graduates measured | $61,591 | $63,247 | Data unavailable |
| George Mason University VA · Public · 27 graduates measured | $59,880 | $59,751 | Data unavailable |
| Boston College MA · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $59,022 | $66,787 | Data unavailable |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 137 graduates measured | $55,503 | $64,587 | Data unavailable |
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion AZ · Public · 137 graduates measured | $55,503 | $64,587 | Data unavailable |
| Sam Houston State University TX · Public · 34 graduates measured | $54,705 | $54,943 | Data unavailable |
| University of Nebraska at Kearney NE · Public · 30 graduates measured | $53,265 | $62,153 | Data unavailable |
| Norwich University VT · Private, nonprofit · 93 graduates measured | $52,931 | $70,211 | Data unavailable |
| Simmons University MA · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $52,265 | $66,986 | Data unavailable |
| American University DC · Private, nonprofit · 34 graduates measured | $51,742 | $68,296 | Data unavailable |
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania PA · Public · 27 graduates measured | $51,070 | $49,768 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Public University System WV · Private, for-profit · 18 graduates measured | $79,176 | $61,512 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to History
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural sciences managers | $167,220 | +8.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Managers, all other | $141,900 | +4.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Historians | $76,750 | +3.0% | Master's degree |
| History teachers, postsecondary | $83,820 | 0.0% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education | $72,040 | -0.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Archivists | $64,550 | +3.4% | Master's degree |
| Curators | $63,420 | +4.9% | Master's degree |
| Museum technicians and conservators | $51,440 | +3.6% | Bachelor's degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (9)
- 54.0101 History, General
- 54.0102 American History (United States)
- 54.0103 European History
- 54.0104 History and Philosophy of Science and Technology
- 54.0105 Public/Applied History
- 54.0106 Asian History
- 54.0107 Canadian History
- 54.0108 Military History
- 54.0199 History, Other