History at Eastern Connecticut State University

Eastern Connecticut State's history program starts graduates nearly $5,000 below the national median for history majors—but then something interesting happens. By year four, earnings jump 51% to nearly $40,000, outpacing both Connecticut's median ($27,581) and the national benchmark ($31,220). That dramatic growth trajectory suggests graduates who stick with their initial career paths find solid footing, though the rough first year warrants attention.

Within Connecticut, this program sits squarely at the state median, ranking in the 40th percentile. That means you're getting middle-of-the-pack performance among the state's 20 history programs—far behind Yale or Connecticut College, but comparable to UConn. The $25,000 debt load is slightly above Connecticut's typical $22,470 for history degrees, but the year-four earnings growth helps justify the cost. Nearly 1-to-1 debt-to-first-year-earnings looks concerning on paper, but most history graduates here aren't stuck at that initial salary for long.

The real question is whether your student can weather that challenging first year out of college. If they're willing to invest time building experience—potentially through graduate school, teaching credentials, or career pivoting—the four-year data suggests patience pays off. For families seeking immediate post-graduation earnings, though, this follows the typical liberal arts pattern of delayed financial returns.