# Western Kentucky University: History (bachelor's)

Bowling Green, KY. IPEDS 157951, CIP 54.01. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-kentucky-university/majors/history

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $27,177
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $38,836 (U.S. median for this major: $50,540 across 454 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $22,965 (U.S. median $24,000)
- Rank in KY: 6 of 6 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the KY median for this major (6 colleges, $46,425): -$7,589
- Versus the U.S. median: -$11,704

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.28 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $38,836 minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KY (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $7,087 | $30,332 | 5.7 years |
| 30-48k | $6,871 | $29,408 | 5.5 years |
| 48-75k | $9,765 | $41,794 | 7.9 years |
| 75-110k | $14,049 | $60,130 | 11.3 years |
| 110k+ | $17,653 | $75,555 | 14.2 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## History at KY colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centre College | $51,094 | $27,000 | $20,781 | 81% |
| Northern Kentucky University | $48,109 | $30,375 | $8,191 | 52% |
| Murray State University | $46,739 | $25,500 | $9,096 | 61% |
| University of Kentucky | $46,111 | $20,500 | $18,851 | 71% |
| University of Louisville | $45,825 | $23,312 | $17,988 | 61% |
| Western Kentucky University | $38,836 | $22,965 | $10,990 | 56% |

## Careers
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2031): median wage $61,520 Bowling Green, KY, $61,560 KY, $72,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035
- Natural Sciences Managers (SOC 11-9121): median wage not reported Bowling Green, KY, $126,440 KY, $167,220 U.S.; U.S. jobs 8.2% by 2035
- Museum Technicians and Conservators (SOC 25-4013): median wage not reported Bowling Green, KY, $49,940 KY, $51,440 U.S.; U.S. jobs 3.6% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).