History at Winona State University

At roughly $26,700 in debt with first-year earnings around $39,200, this program's estimated debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68 looks manageable compared to many humanities degrees. Based on comparable History programs in Minnesota—where data come from just three schools—graduates typically earn about $8,000 more than the national median for this field. That's a meaningful advantage, though it's worth noting the small sample size means these estimates could shift as more programs report data.

The debt burden appears reasonable for a liberal arts degree. Similar Minnesota programs suggest students can expect to pay back roughly two-thirds of their first-year salary in loans, which should be serviceable on typical History graduate salaries in fields like education, nonprofits, or entry-level government work. The real question is career trajectory: History degrees often lead to positions requiring additional credentials (teaching certificates, law school, graduate programs) or involve longer climbs to decent salaries in fields like museum work or archives.

If your child is genuinely passionate about History and has a plan for converting it into stable employment—whether that's secondary education, public history, or using it as a foundation for professional school—these numbers suggest Winona State won't burden them with crushing debt. But if they're choosing History by default or hoping it leads directly to middle-class earnings, understand that peer programs show first-year salaries that require careful budgeting and potentially longer timelines to financial independence.