History at University of North Carolina Asheville

The small sample size here demands caution, but the numbers suggest UNC Asheville's history program trails most alternatives in North Carolina. At $28,205 in first-year earnings, graduates start about $5,000 below both the state median and national average—landing in just the 25th percentile among North Carolina history programs. Even UNC's public university peers like Western Carolina and UNC Charlotte report starting salaries roughly $6,000 higher.

The debt load looks manageable at $16,690, well below typical borrowing for history majors. With a 0.59 debt-to-earnings ratio, graduates face less than eight months of first-year salary in loans—a reasonable burden even at these lower earnings levels. The 33% earnings growth to year four is encouraging and brings graduates closer to their peers, though they're still starting from behind.

Given the modest admission selectivity and the relatively weak earnings position within North Carolina's public university system, families should look closely at whether UNC Asheville offers specific advantages—campus fit, smaller classes, location—that justify the earnings gap. The small sample also means a few outlier graduates could be skewing these figures either direction. If your student is considering history as a major, comparing financial aid packages across UNC system schools would be wise, as similar debt but notably higher earnings are available at several sister campuses.