Southern Oregon University History: earnings, debt & careers

History graduates of Southern Oregon University earn a median $43,195 four years after graduating ($28,067 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $21,500. That is $7,345 below the U.S. median for History graduates ($50,540 across 454 colleges), and ranks 6th of 6 Oregon colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$43,195

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
$28,067

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$21,500

About 50% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$16,732 /yr

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

Sticker price $27,636. College Scorecard.

SOU History: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

SOU graduates$43,195
Oregon median (6 colleges)$53,566 (−$10,371)
U.S. median (454 colleges)$50,540 (−$7,345)

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 SOU'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$11,830$51,3427.7 years
$30–48k$12,466$54,1028.1 years
$48–75k$15,813$68,62810.3 years
$75–110k$22,415$97,28114.6 years
$110k+$24,181$104,94615.8 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (31% 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 ($43,195) minus $36,549 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OR (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $6,646 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 Oregon colleges

Every Oregon 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
1Oregon State University$56,790$24,332$19,60470%
2Oregon State University-Cascades Campus$56,790$24,332$18,04856%
3Portland State University$54,131$31,000$9,55253%
4University of Portland$53,002—$28,21080%
5University of Oregon$48,354$18,675$22,18272%
6Southern Oregon University$43,195$21,500$16,73243%

10 more Oregon colleges offer History but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for History graduates

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Medford area$77,180
Oregon$79,570
U.S.$72,040

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

Natural Sciences Managers

Medford area$128,600
Oregon$143,120
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

Oregon$45,820
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 SOU, by income

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

College Scorecard

About SOU

Related majors at SOU

  • English$49,706
  • Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
  • Studio Art—

SOU History questions

How much do SOU History graduates earn?

History graduates of Southern Oregon University earn a median $43,195 four years after graduating and $28,067 one year after. The U.S. median for History graduates across 454 colleges is $50,540.

How much debt do SOU History graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for History graduates of Southern Oregon University is $21,500, about 50% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,000.

Is SOU a good school for History in Oregon?

On pay, History graduates of Southern Oregon University earn $43,195 four years out, $10,371 below the median for the same major across 6 Oregon colleges ($53,566) and $7,345 below the U.S. median ($50,540). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does SOU rank for History in Oregon?

Of 6 Oregon colleges reporting History graduate earnings, Southern Oregon University ranks 6th. The highest is Oregon State University at $56,790.

What jobs do History graduates get?

A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $77,180 in the Medford, OR 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: “Southern Oregon University History: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/southern-oregon-university/majors/history (College Scorecard and BLS data).