What jobs do history graduates actually get?
The honest answer is that history graduates land across a wide range of industries rather than a single defined occupation. Secondary school teachers — the clearest direct-use path — earn a median wage of $64,580 and require state licensure on top of the degree. Graduates who enter government, nonprofits, or corporate settings frequently move into management roles; the general manager category that appears most often in career data for this family carries a median wage of $136,550. Law school and graduate programs in public policy, library science, and archives draw heavily from history undergraduates. Public/Applied History graduates, 134 completions across 28 colleges, are explicitly prepared for museum curating, archival work, and historic preservation positions.
Is a history degree worth it financially?
The family median across all seven majors sits at $55,256, which is above the national median for all bachelor's degree holders and competitive within the humanities. The ceiling is not capped by the degree itself — graduates who enter management or legal careers regularly surpass six figures, with general managers in the data reaching a median of $136,550. The degree's ROI depends heavily on what you do after graduation: graduates who pair history training with internships, graduate degrees, or professional certifications outperform those who treat the bachelor's as a terminal credential. Among 23,284 annual completers, most who report strong earnings have added a professional layer on top of the undergraduate foundation.
What is Public/Applied History and how is it different from History, General?
Public/Applied History is a career-direct variant of historical training offered at 28 colleges with 134 annual completions. Where History, General focuses on academic research skills and broad analytical training, Public/Applied History orients coursework toward specific professional contexts — archives, museums, historic sites, oral history programs, and government records offices. Students in these programs typically complete internships in those settings during their degree. For students who know they want to work in an institutional history role rather than pursue graduate study or teaching, Public/Applied History closes the gap between the degree and the job. It is a niche option, but a well-defined one.
How does the history family compare in size to other concentrations?
With 23,284 annual completions across 1,462 colleges, History is a mid-size concentration by volume — large enough to be offered nearly everywhere, but not among the top-tier enrollment families like business or health professions. The concentration's defining structural feature is its concentration within a single major: History, General at 22,597 completions compared to the next-largest entry, History, Other, at only 294 completions across 48 colleges. This means the quality and focus of a history education varies much more by institution than by which major title appears on the transcript.
Should I consider History and Philosophy of Science and Technology if I'm interested in STEM policy?
History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, offered at 15 colleges with 119 annual completions, is a small but analytically rigorous option that bridges historical methodology with the study of how scientific knowledge and technology develop over time. It is particularly well-suited for students interested in science policy, bioethics, technology regulation, or academic research in science studies. The program's small footprint — 15 colleges nationally — means you need to identify programs in advance rather than assuming your target school offers it. Graduates from this track who move into policy or research roles tend to bring a combination of historical analysis and technical literacy that is genuinely uncommon.