Arts and humanities: every university, ranked by pay
History at San Diego State University
Bachelor's degree · San Diego, California · 171 graduates in two years
What do SDSU history graduates earn?
Median yearly pay of graduates who had federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Hidden where too few graduates to publish.
What does it take to get into SDSU?
Admission is to the university, not the program, at most US schools.
How much does SDSU cost?
Sticker price for a year, and what students actually paid after grants.
The cost by family income, debt and who finishes are on SDSU's page.
What careers does History lead to?
Careers people reach through this field, each with its pay, training and what the work is like.
- LawyerArgue, advise, negotiate and write. Seven years of school and one hard exam stand between you and the license.$160kTypical pay7 to 8 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemand
- JournalistFind out what happened, check it, and tell everyone. A shrinking industry that still decides what the country argues about.$62kTypical pay3 to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemand
- AuthorWrite books people buy. No license, no required degree, and almost no guaranteed money.$77kTypical payup to 4 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemand
History at other universities
The same program elsewhere, California first, then the best paid.
| University | Pay, five years out | Debt | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Southern CaliforniaCalifornia | $77,938 | $15,750 | 10% |
| UC Santa BarbaraCalifornia | $68,195 | $11,833 | 33% |
| University of California, BerkeleyCalifornia | $67,764 | $12,000 | 11% |
| California Polytechnic State University, San Luis ObispoCalifornia | $65,826 | $19,833 | 31% |
| University of California San DiegoCalifornia | $65,542 | $14,440 | 27% |
| University of California, DavisCalifornia | $62,978 | $11,083 | 42% |
| University of California, Los AngelesCalifornia | $62,867 | $11,000 | 9% |
| University of California, Santa CruzCalifornia | $62,393 | $15,000 | 66% |
| California State University, Long BeachCalifornia | $56,678 | $13,914 | 46% |
| California State University, FullertonCalifornia | $55,339 | $15,000 | 91% |
| University of California, IrvineCalifornia | $53,620 | $12,959 | 29% |
| University of California, RiversideCalifornia | $52,254 | $17,302 | 76% |
Where these numbers come from
College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Pay is the median for graduates who received federal aid, measured one and five years after finishing; debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.
Careerhelp is not affiliated with San Diego State University. Figures describe past students.