History at University of Northern Iowa

University of Northern Iowa history graduates start at just $27,569—landing in the bottom quartile both nationally and among Iowa programs. That's significantly below the state median of $36,402 and trails Iowa State by nearly $14,000. At first glance, this looks like a tough financial proposition, especially when you're paying close to the national median in student debt.

But here's what changes the calculus: earnings jump 64% by year four, reaching $45,192. That trajectory transforms an initially weak position into something more defensible. The debt load of $21,776 becomes manageable once graduates hit their stride, and you're looking at debt that's less than half of year-four earnings. This pattern suggests the degree may serve as a foundation for career advancement rather than immediate market readiness—potentially through graduate school, credential programs, or building expertise in a field.

The critical question is whether your child can weather those first few years. If they need strong immediate earnings or plan to stay in Iowa where the market clearly values history graduates from Iowa State and other programs more highly, this creates risk. But if they're planning for graduate school anyway or can bridge those early years, the growth trajectory offers hope. Just know that a quarter of similarly-ranked programs nationally don't perform this weakly out of the gate, so you're accepting meaningful short-term financial pressure.