History at The University of Montana

University of Montana's history program graduates start earning $28,508—below both the national median ($31,220) and Montana's median ($29,100) for history majors. While the program ranks at the 40th percentile among Montana's seven history programs, graduates take on $26,500 in debt, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.93. For context, Montana State's history graduates earn about $1,200 more in year one. The gap widens when you look beyond Montana: this program falls to the 30th percentile nationally.

The silver lining is meaningful earnings growth—graduates see a 30% jump to $37,073 by year four, which narrows the gap with peers. The relatively modest debt burden (26th percentile nationally means lower than most) also helps make these early lean years more manageable than they might be elsewhere.

The critical caveat here is sample size—fewer than 30 graduates were tracked, so these figures could swing considerably with the next cohort. For a family considering this investment, the question becomes whether the University of Montana experience justifies starting behind peers at other programs, even with reasonable debt levels and eventual catch-up growth. If your student is choosing history for genuine passion rather than earnings potential, the manageable debt matters more than the below-average starting salary. If graduate school is the plan, those early earnings may matter less than you think.