ROI Major

History at Augusta University

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 54.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a History degree from Augusta University earn a median salary of $49,147 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $54,306. The degree typically pays for itself in 12.5 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$36,051

Typical Career

$49,147

Top Performers

$60,462

Estimated break-even: 12.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$328

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,096. Most students can comfortably afford about a $328 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Georgia buys what costs $0.91 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 39.2%
Educational Services 20.5%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 7.4%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$54,306

Nominal: $49,147 in Georgia (COL 90.5% of national avg) · 10.5% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

12.5 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $25,316 $35,416 $46,455
5 Years After Graduation $36,051 $49,147 $60,462
10 Years After Graduation $42,555 $59,966 $72,728

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $49,147 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in GA, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $49,147 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $54,306 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for History graduates from Augusta University shows a steady increase over time. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $35,416, which rises to $49,147 after five years and reaches $59,966 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns more closely with the national average at approximately $54,306.08, reflecting the cost of living in Georgia, which has a COL index of 0.905 compared to the national average of 1.0.

Graduates primarily enter sectors such as Health Care & Social Assistance (39.2%), Educational Services (20.5%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (7.4%). The estimated break-even point for those pursuing a degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately 12.5 years, indicating a moderate return on investment for a History degree. While the financial benefits may take time to materialize, the diverse career opportunities available in these top industries can provide a stable foundation for graduates in the long term.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the History degree at Augusta University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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