History at Metropolitan State University of Denver

Metropolitan State history graduates start strong—earning $42,785 in their first year, which outperforms 95% of history programs nationally and beats the national median by over $11,000. That's an impressive launch for a program at an open-access institution. However, the picture shifts considerably over time. By year four, median earnings drop to $37,394, a 13% decline that reverses the typical career trajectory. Among Colorado's 15 history programs, this ranks solidly in the middle (60th percentile), trailing CU Denver and CU Colorado Springs by a small margin.

The debt load tells an uncomfortable story. At $34,125, graduates carry about $10,000 more than the typical Colorado history major and significantly more than the national median of $24,000. While the 0.80 debt-to-earnings ratio isn't catastrophic, it means nearly a full year's salary goes toward student loans—and that's based on the stronger first-year earnings, not the lower four-year figure.

For families considering this program: the initial outcomes look encouraging, but the earnings decline and above-average debt create real repayment challenges. If your student can graduate with substantially less than the median debt—perhaps by commuting, working part-time, or maximizing transfer credits—the first-year salary makes this manageable. At full borrowing levels, though, you're paying a premium for outcomes that don't meaningfully exceed what other Colorado public universities deliver at lower cost.