History: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
History graduates earn a median $50,680 four years after finishing — $2,320/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,902/yr net price ($67,608 over four years), that pays back in about 29.1 years. Federal data pools 1,053 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 23,441 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
History ranks #160 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 21% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dartmouth College | NH | $136,403 |
| 2 | Duke University | NC | $112,377 |
| 3 | Yale University | CT | $109,947 |
| 4 | Amherst College | MA | $103,601 |
| 5 | Washington and Lee University | VA | $100,087 |
| 6 | Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | $98,079 |
| 7 | University of Pennsylvania | PA | $88,517 |
| 8 | Brown University | RI | $85,520 |
| 9 | Cornell University | NY | $82,031 |
| 10 | Princeton University | NJ | $80,347 |
| 11 | Boston College | MA | $80,073 |
| 12 | University of Southern California | CA | $79,940 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.
How fast does History pay grow after graduation?
From $28,803 one year out to $50,680 four years out — a $21,877 climb, or 76% over three years. Both are federal medians of the same graduating cohorts, so the gap reflects real wage progression rather than a change in who is measured.
How many students graduate in History each year?
About 23,441 bachelor's graduates a year across 1,053 programs in the federal file. Cohort size matters when reading the median: a field this size averages across a wide range of employers, regions and job titles.