Bachelor's+9% vs national median2,527 grads tracked
History at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Ranked 49th of 354 bachelor's programs in History by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$35,220
middle 50%: $24,971 – $49,255
Median · 5 years out
$59,157
middle 50%: $42,301 – $81,052
Median · 10 years out
$80,801
middle 50%: $58,463 – $119,250
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for History (bachelor's) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
History majors at UW-Madison earn a median of $35k in their first year. Median salaries rise to $59k by year five and $81k by year ten.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.
Will the degree pay for itself?
Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.
Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).
Paid off in
7.3 yrs
≈ $8,838 total interest
Same major at other universities
University of Massachusetts - Lowell
$59,550 · 5 yrs out
University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth
$59,507 · 5 yrs out
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
$59,496 · 5 yrs out
DePaul University
$59,391 · 5 yrs out
SUNY Cortland
$59,278 · 5 yrs out
State University of New York at Albany
$59,170 · 5 yrs out
Framingham State University
$59,073 · 5 yrs out
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
$58,907 · 5 yrs out
University of Texas at San Antonio
$58,842 · 5 yrs out
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
$58,618 · 5 yrs out
Bethel University
$58,511 · 5 yrs out
University of Mary Washington
$58,363 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Doctorate)
$227,440 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Doctorate)
$191,060 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Master's)
$179,858 · 5 yrs out
Medicine (Doctorate)
$176,530 · 5 yrs out
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctorate)
$153,901 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Doctorate)
$153,036 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctorate)
$143,232 · 5 yrs out
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Bachelor's)
$140,310 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Doctorate)
$139,926 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Statistics (Doctorate)
$134,767 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Master's)
$133,218 · 5 yrs out
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's)
$127,595 · 5 yrs out