Brown University History: earnings, debt & careers

History graduates of Brown University earn a median $85,520 four years after graduating ($42,296 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $13,491. That is $34,980 above the U.S. median for History graduates ($50,540 across 454 colleges), and ranks 1st of 3 Rhode Island colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$85,520

U.S. median for this major: $50,540.

College Scorecard field of study; 22 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$42,296

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$13,491

About 16% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$25,184 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $87,648. College Scorecard.

Brown University History: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Brown University graduates$85,520
Rhode Island median (3 colleges)$54,001 (+$31,519)
U.S. median (454 colleges)$50,540 (+$34,980)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

History nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses Brown University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$0$0under 1 year
$30–48k$2,031$8,490under 1 year
$48–75k$5,858$24,486under 1 year
$75–110k$16,219$67,7951.5 years
$110k+$44,937$187,8374.1 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (80% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of History graduates 4 years after graduating ($85,520) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in RI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $45,640 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

History at Rhode Island colleges

Every Rhode Island college we cover that reports History graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Brown University$85,520$13,491$25,18496%
2University of Rhode Island$54,001$21,469$21,44073%
3Rhode Island College$46,105$24,141$9,47848%

4 more Rhode Island colleges offer History but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for History graduates

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Providence area$92,110
Rhode Island$92,610
U.S.$72,040

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Natural Sciences Managers

Providence area$144,920
Rhode Island$130,480
U.S.$167,220

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +8.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Museum Technicians and Conservators

Providence area$54,370
Rhode Island$55,470
U.S.$51,440

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +3.6% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at Brown University, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About Brown University

Related majors at Brown University

  • English$73,497
  • Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
  • Philosophy—
  • Linguistics—
  • Liberal Arts / General Studies—
  • Area Studies$59,808

Brown University History questions

How much do Brown University History graduates earn?

History graduates of Brown University earn a median $85,520 four years after graduating and $42,296 one year after. The U.S. median for History graduates across 454 colleges is $50,540.

How much debt do Brown University History graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for History graduates of Brown University is $13,491, about 16% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,000.

Is Brown University a good school for History in Rhode Island?

On pay, History graduates of Brown University earn $85,520 four years out, $31,519 above the median for the same major across 3 Rhode Island colleges ($54,001) and $34,980 above the U.S. median ($50,540). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Brown University rank for History in Rhode Island?

Of 3 Rhode Island colleges reporting History graduate earnings, Brown University ranks 1st, the highest.

What jobs do History graduates get?

A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $92,110 in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA area and $72,040 nationally. Others include natural sciences managers and museum technicians and conservators.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Brown University History: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/brown-university/majors/history (College Scorecard and BLS data).