History at The University of Texas at Arlington

UT Arlington's history program outperforms 95% of history programs nationally and 80% of those in Texas—remarkable numbers for a major often dismissed as impractical. Starting at $44,806 and climbing to $53,170 by year four, graduates earn 43% more than the national median for history majors and significantly above Texas's state median of $34,269. With debt under $25,000, graduates face a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56, meaning they owe roughly half what they earn in their first year—far better than typical liberal arts outcomes.

What explains these strong earnings? UT Arlington's location in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex likely plays a crucial role, providing access to corporate, government, and nonprofit employers who value history majors' research and communication skills. The 19% earnings growth from year one to year four suggests graduates find career traction rather than hitting early dead ends. While this program doesn't match specialized outliers like UH Clear Lake's history offerings, it substantially outperforms larger flagship programs at UT Austin and Texas A&M on first-year earnings.

For families worried that a history degree means poverty wages, UT Arlington offers compelling evidence otherwise. The combination of above-average earnings, reasonable debt, and strong upward trajectory makes this one of the better bets in humanities education, particularly for students who want to stay in Texas.