History at California State University-Chico

Chico State's history program produces graduates with earnings that outpace most California history programs—landing in the 60th percentile statewide—while keeping debt significantly below both state and national averages. The $17,783 median debt is about $6,000 less than what California history majors typically carry, though the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means individual experiences could vary considerably.

The earnings trajectory here is noteworthy: graduates see a 45% jump from $30,697 in year one to $44,604 by year four. While first-year earnings sit just below the national median, that four-year mark puts graduates well ahead of typical outcomes for this major. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.58 is manageable—most graduates should be able to handle payments on less than $18,000 in loans, even during that lower-earning first year.

For a history degree at an accessible CSU campus serving a substantial Pell grant population, these numbers suggest reasonable value. You're not looking at the premium outcomes from SDSU or USC, but you're also not taking on their debt loads. The caveat remains that small sample: if your student would be among just a handful of history graduates in their cohort, individual career paths matter more than these medians. Still, the combination of low debt and solid mid-career earnings makes this a defensible choice for students committed to the humanities.