History at Eastern Kentucky University

Eastern Kentucky's history program ranks in the middle of Kentucky offerings but falls short of national benchmarks, with the caveat that we're working with a small sample size here. First-year earnings of $29,346 trail the national median by about $2,000, though they do edge out the Kentucky median. More notably, graduates carry $27,000 in debt—actually higher than both state and national medians—creating a debt-to-earnings ratio that means nearly a full year's salary goes toward student loans.

The trajectory tells a somewhat better story: earnings climb 27% to $37,167 by year four, which is solid growth for a humanities degree. This puts EKU ahead of most Kentucky competitors including UK and Western Kentucky, and the program manages to rank in the 60th percentile statewide despite underwhelming first-year numbers. However, that's still below-average nationally and doesn't fully compensate for the debt load.

For families considering this program, the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could swing significantly year to year. The relatively high debt combined with modest starting pay makes this a financially challenging path unless your student has specific career plans that leverage the degree. The earnings growth is encouraging, but starting $2,000 behind the national average while carrying above-average debt puts graduates at an immediate disadvantage.