History at Wayne State University

Wayne State's history graduates earn substantially more than their peers across Michigan and the nation. At $41,874 in first-year earnings, they're making nearly $9,000 more than the state median and outearning graduates from Michigan State, Central Michigan, and most other state schools. Among Michigan's 32 history programs, Wayne State lands in the 80th percentile—a strong position for a program at an accessible school with an 82% admission rate.

The debt picture reinforces the value. At $32,544, graduates carry more debt than the state median but maintain a manageable 0.78 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning they owe less than a year's salary. This is especially notable given that 43% of Wayne State students receive Pell grants, suggesting the program serves economically diverse students without burying them in unmanageable debt. Earnings grow steadily to $46,502 by year four, showing the degree opens doors rather than dead-ending.

The major caveat: these numbers come from fewer than 30 graduates, so individual circumstances heavily influence the medians. Still, for a history degree at a Detroit public university, the fundamentals look solid. Your child would be entering a program that demonstrably outperforms peer institutions while keeping debt reasonable—assuming they're comfortable with the uncertainty inherent in small sample sizes.