History at University of North Carolina at Pembroke

A $27,000 first-year salary for history graduates requires serious consideration, especially when North Carolina's public universities typically deliver 20-40% higher earnings for the same degree. Among NC history programs, UNC-Pembroke ranks in just the 25th percentile—meaning three-quarters of the state's programs produce better outcomes. Even nearby Western Carolina graduates earn $34,909, nearly $8,000 more annually, while the state median sits at $33,219.

The debt load itself isn't catastrophic at $27,000 (actually lower than most programs), but paired with these earnings it creates a difficult first-year ratio where debt nearly equals annual income. This matters because history graduates often need graduate degrees for career advancement, and starting with limited earnings capacity makes paying down debt while considering further education challenging. The program serves a predominantly first-generation student body (48% Pell eligible), which makes the earnings gap particularly concerning for families counting on strong economic returns.

The small sample size here is important—with fewer than 30 recent graduates tracked, one or two outliers could skew these numbers significantly. That said, the pattern is consistent: low earnings relative to state peers, manageable but still substantial debt, and outcomes that lag both state and national benchmarks. If your child is set on history at a UNC campus, the flagship at Chapel Hill or even NC State both show materially better results for likely similar in-state tuition.