San Diego State University History: earnings, debt & careers

History graduates of San Diego State University earn a median $57,861 four years after graduating ($38,203 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $13,881. That is $7,321 above the U.S. median for History graduates ($50,540 across 454 colleges), and ranks 11th of 31 California colleges.

Show numbers for my family

Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$57,861

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

College Scorecard field of study

Earnings, 1 year after
$38,203

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$13,881

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

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$15,364 /yr

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

Sticker price $27,780. College Scorecard.

History at California colleges

Every California 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
1University of Southern California$79,940$12,638$32,74092%
2California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo$66,518$17,627$16,66586%
3California State University-East Bay$65,217$20,000$9,32048%
4University of California-Berkeley$64,755$13,068$13,48193%
5University of California-San Diego$61,745$17,467$12,47086%
6University of California-Santa Cruz$60,519$18,279$17,89075%
7National University$59,645$29,687$22,87843%
8University of California-Los Angeles$59,555$14,277$12,54893%
9University of California-Santa Barbara$59,342$14,500$16,10983%
10San Francisco State University$58,717$15,000$12,27850%
11San Diego State University$57,861$13,881$15,36476%
12University of California-Davis$57,734$14,593$14,74186%
13Sonoma State University$56,819$16,304$12,88558%
14California State University-Bakersfield$56,081—$5,65250%
15California State University-Sacramento$55,797$18,000$9,33856%
16California State University-Los Angeles$55,413$14,721$3,96753%
17California Baptist University$54,239$20,000$26,28562%
18University of California-Irvine$53,481$15,929$14,25187%
19California State University-San Marcos$52,985$16,923$10,22955%
20California State University-Long Beach$52,423$15,000$10,44069%
21University of California-Riverside$51,913$19,330$14,30476%
22California State University-Fresno$51,676$20,127$7,00057%
23California State Polytechnic University-Pomona$51,217$15,000$11,53168%
24California State University-Stanislaus$49,882$11,656$6,06753%
25California State University-Chico$49,351$17,783$14,48063%
26California State University-Fullerton$48,309$14,524$6,55570%
27California State University-Northridge$45,821$15,000$7,02157%
28California State University-San Bernardino$44,655$13,141$4,56455%
29University of California-Merced$44,144$15,455$11,98369%
30California State University-Channel Islands$42,229$17,854$9,84951%
31California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt$42,119$15,000$13,17149%

37 more California colleges offer History but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for History graduates

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

San Diego area$102,810
California$101,370
U.S.$72,040

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

Natural Sciences Managers

San Diego area$207,200
California$210,230
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

San Diego area$56,590
California$61,550
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 San Diego State University, by income

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

College Scorecard

About San Diego State University

Related majors at San Diego State University

San Diego State University History questions

How much do San Diego State University History graduates earn?

History graduates of San Diego State University earn a median $57,861 four years after graduating and $38,203 one year after. The U.S. median for History graduates across 454 colleges is $50,540.

How much debt do San Diego State University History graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for History graduates of San Diego State University is $13,881, about 24% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,000.

Where does San Diego State University rank for History in California?

Of 31 California colleges reporting History graduate earnings, San Diego State University ranks 11th. The highest is University of Southern California at $79,940.

What jobs do History graduates get?

A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $102,810 in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA area and $72,040 nationally. Others include natural sciences managers and museum technicians and conservators.

Is San Diego State University the right fit for your family?

Get a free report comparing San Diego State University with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.

Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting in

We never share your contact information.

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: “San Diego State University History: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/san-diego-state-university/majors/history (College Scorecard and BLS data).