History at Florida Atlantic University

Florida Atlantic's history program starts graduates at just $24,639—ranking in the bottom 5% nationally and sitting below the state median of $27,787. While that first-year figure ranks in the 40th percentile among Florida's 30 history programs, it's still concerning when graduates from the state's top programs (like Miami at $35,633 or UCF at $34,335) earn roughly 40% more right out of the gate. The debt load of $18,075 is at least manageable, though it's still higher than ideal relative to those early paychecks.

The 70% earnings jump by year four to $41,947 tells an interesting story. Graduates clearly find their footing and begin closing the gap with better-performing programs. However, even after this strong growth, they're still trailing the earnings of top Florida programs' *first-year* graduates. This suggests FAU history majors may be entering less structured career paths that require more time to develop—potentially through graduate degrees or career pivots—rather than launching directly into stable employment.

For families focused on immediate post-graduation earnings, this program underperforms. The real question is whether your student plans to pursue graduate education or has the financial cushion to weather several lean early-career years. If they need to start earning quickly after graduation, consider the stronger-performing public options like UCF or USF, where initial outcomes are significantly better.