ROI Major

History at University of Hartford

CT · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 54.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a History degree from University of Hartford earn a median salary of $52,165 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $45,243. The degree typically pays for itself in 13.6 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

$39,104

Typical Career

$52,165

Top Performers

$74,301

Estimated break-even: 13.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$348

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,347. Most students can comfortably afford about a $348 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Connecticut buys what costs $1.15 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 19.2%
Educational Services 13.9%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 13.3%

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

$45,243

Nominal: $52,165 in Connecticut (COL 115.3% of national avg) · 13.3% lower 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).

13.6 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 $23,626 $34,473 $47,510
5 Years After Graduation $39,104 $52,165 $74,301
10 Years After Graduation $45,413 $54,757 $76,958

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 $52,165 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in CT, which has a cost-of-living index of 115.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $52,165 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1530) = $45,243 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a History degree from the University of Hartford experience a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $34,473, rising to $52,165 after five years, and reaching $54,757 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $45,242.84, indicating that while initial earnings may be lower than some fields, the long-term trajectory shows potential for growth, albeit with a longer break-even point of approximately 13.6 years compared to a high school-only path.

The top industries for History graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (19.2%), Educational Services (13.9%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (13.3%). This distribution suggests that while the degree may not lead directly to high-paying roles, it provides a foundation for diverse career paths. Overall, the return on investment for a History degree from the University of Hartford may be moderate, with a significant time commitment required to achieve financial parity with those who enter the workforce with only a high school diploma.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the History degree at University of Hartford 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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