University of Colorado Boulder History: earnings, debt & careers

History graduates of University of Colorado Boulder earn a median $49,401 four years after graduating ($37,044 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $17,905. That is $1,139 below the U.S. median for History graduates ($50,540 across 454 colleges), and ranks 5th of 7 Colorado colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$49,401

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

College Scorecard field of study; 35 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$37,044

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$17,905

About 36% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$25,346 /yr

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

Sticker price $37,684. College Scorecard.

CU History: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

CU graduates$49,401
Colorado median (7 colleges)$50,874 (−$1,473)
U.S. median (454 colleges)$50,540 (−$1,139)

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 CU'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$14,231$60,6246.9 years
$30–48k$14,381$61,2637.0 years
$48–75k$18,828$80,2079.1 years
$75–110k$26,915$114,65813.0 years
$110k+$34,818$148,32516.9 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (58% 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 ($49,401) minus $40,610 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in CO (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $8,791 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 Colorado colleges

Every Colorado 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 Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus$53,686$23,750$11,90046%
2University of Northern Colorado$52,423$23,804$17,76051%
3Colorado State University-Fort Collins$52,144$24,152$21,27967%
4Colorado State University Pueblo$50,874$21,000$10,05140%
5University of Colorado Boulder$49,401$17,905$25,34674%
6Metropolitan State University of Denver$48,518$34,125$15,32732%
7University of Colorado Colorado Springs$43,949$21,250$15,78847%

8 more Colorado colleges offer History but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for History graduates

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Boulder area$81,450
Colorado$72,900
U.S.$72,040

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

Natural Sciences Managers

Boulder area$210,340
Colorado$152,730
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

Colorado$51,990
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 CU, by income

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

College Scorecard

About CU

Related majors at CU

  • English$54,085
  • Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
  • Philosophy—
  • Linguistics—
  • Liberal Arts / General Studies—
  • Area Studies—

CU History questions

How much do CU History graduates earn?

History graduates of University of Colorado Boulder earn a median $49,401 four years after graduating and $37,044 one year after. The U.S. median for History graduates across 454 colleges is $50,540.

How much debt do CU History graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for History graduates of University of Colorado Boulder is $17,905, about 36% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,000.

Is CU a good school for History in Colorado?

On pay, History graduates of University of Colorado Boulder earn $49,401 four years out, $1,473 below the median for the same major across 7 Colorado colleges ($50,874) and $1,139 below the U.S. median ($50,540). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does CU rank for History in Colorado?

Of 7 Colorado colleges reporting History graduate earnings, University of Colorado Boulder ranks 5th. The highest is University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus at $53,686.

What jobs do History graduates get?

A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $81,450 in the Boulder, CO 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: “University of Colorado Boulder History: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-colorado-boulder/majors/history (College Scorecard and BLS data).