History at East Tennessee State University

East Tennessee State's history program graduates start at $27,799—about $1,500 below the Tennessee median and $3,400 below the national benchmark. That's bottom-quarter earnings nationally, though middling within Tennessee. The silver lining is genuine momentum: earnings jump to $36,929 by year four, a 33% gain that outpaces most liberal arts programs and suggests graduates are finding their footing in careers where a history degree provides valuable skills.

The debt load of $20,500 is manageable and slightly below Tennessee's median for history programs. With a 0.74 debt-to-earnings ratio, graduates owe less than their first year's salary—a reasonable position for a humanities degree. But context matters: ETSU trails Middle Tennessee State ($35,391) and Austin Peay ($34,456) significantly in first-year outcomes, and those schools likely have similar cost structures for in-state students.

For families considering ETSU's history program, the calculus is straightforward. Your child will likely struggle financially in that first year out of college, but the earnings trajectory suggests they won't stay stuck there. If they're committed to history and ETSU offers other compelling reasons to attend—geography, campus fit, or specific faculty—the modest debt keeps this viable. But if career earnings are the priority, other Tennessee public universities are delivering better returns with similar accessibility.