History at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Virginia Tech history graduates start modestly at $33,319 but see their earnings jump 43% to $47,665 by year four—one of the steepest growth curves you'll find among Virginia history programs. While first-year earnings sit just below UVA's and trail specialized schools like Hampden-Sydney and VMI, that gap narrows considerably as Tech graduates gain experience. The $20,499 debt load is manageable, coming in below both state and national medians, which translates to just over seven months of first-year salary.

The tradeoff here is clear: accept a slower start in exchange for strong mid-career momentum and lower debt. Among Virginia's 40 history programs, Tech ranks solidly in the 60th percentile for earnings—middle of the pack but with better-than-average debt terms. This pattern suggests the program's value lies less in immediate post-graduation outcomes and more in preparing students for roles that develop over time, whether in education, government, or professional fields requiring analytical skills.

For parents, the math works if your student plans to leverage the history degree as a foundation rather than an endpoint—perhaps paired with graduate school, teaching credentials, or a career path where that steep earnings growth continues. The debt is light enough that those options remain open, which matters more for humanities majors than for many technical fields.