Bachelor's · Erie, Pennsylvania
Is History at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College worth it?
Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back slowly: graduates typically recover the cost in about 8.8 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $39,947
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $56,790
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $21,921
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $98k (likely $98k – $131k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $18k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in PA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 8.8 years (likely 7.0–12.2)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$136k (likely −$220k – −$71k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $88k (likely −$52k – $244k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 47%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in
- not reported / ≤ 20%
- NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20
Change income, residency or loans Compare History at other schools
⚖️ Getting ready in high school
Students heading toward law, government & society majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.
AP classes
- AP U.S. Government and Politics
- AP U.S. History
- AP English Language and Composition
- AP Comparative Government and Politics
IB Higher Level
- History HL
- Global Politics HL
Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.
Other majors at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$127,665
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$120,729
- Manufacturing Engineering (Master's)$118,435
- Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)$112,269
- Accounting and Related Services (Master's)$110,498
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Undergraduate certificate)$108,264
- Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's)$104,758
- Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Undergraduate certificate)$102,874
- Computer Science (Bachelor's)$101,854
- Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's)$96,714
- Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's)$95,935
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's)$93,277
History at other schools in Pennsylvania
- University of Pennsylvania$88,517
- University of Scranton$68,443
- Dickinson College$57,699
- Arcadia University$56,331
- Villanova University$56,080
- University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg$53,682
- University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown$53,682
- University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus$53,682
- Allegheny College$53,454
- Gettysburg College$52,904