History at Fort Lewis College

Drawing on Colorado's history programs, Fort Lewis appears positioned right at the state median—around $36,900 in first-year earnings against roughly $23,750 in debt. That 0.64 debt-to-earnings ratio is manageable by humanities standards, putting graduates in a position to pay down loans without crushing financial pressure. For context, this estimate exceeds the national median for history majors by about $5,700, suggesting Colorado's job market or Fort Lewis's student mix produces somewhat stronger outcomes than the typical program.

The challenge is what comes next. History degrees rarely command premium salaries in early career years, and with reported outcomes from larger Colorado programs ranging from $36,800 to $42,800, Fort Lewis sits at the lower end of the state's spectrum. Metropolitan State graduates, for instance, earn roughly $6,000 more in their first year—a meaningful difference when managing loan payments. The school's 93% admission rate and modest test scores suggest Fort Lewis serves a broad range of students, which could mean the estimates here reflect mixed career paths from teaching to retail management to graduate school.

If your child is passionate about history and has specific plans—teacher certification, law school, museum work with graduate study—this debt load won't derail those goals. But if they're exploring humanities without a clear direction, understand you're banking on estimates that could swing either way, and similar programs at larger Colorado schools show modestly better earning potential.