ROI Major

History at Texas A & M University - Texarkana

TX · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 54.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a History degree from Texas A & M University - Texarkana earn a median salary of $46,555 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $50,548. The degree typically pays for itself in 22 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$37,333

Typical Career

$46,555

Top Performers

$56,406

Estimated break-even: 22 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$310

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,880. Most students can comfortably afford about a $310 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 41.6%
Health Care & Social Assistance 16.5%
Retail Trade 6.1%

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

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$50,548

Nominal: $46,555 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% 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).

22 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 $23,395 $34,307 $46,803
5 Years After Graduation $37,333 $46,555 $56,406
10 Years After Graduation $35,757 $47,574 $71,899

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 $46,555 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $46,555 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $50,548 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 Texas A & M University - Texarkana experience a steady earnings trajectory, with median earnings of $34,307 one year after graduation, rising to $46,555 after five years, and reaching $47,574 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $50,548.32 nationally, indicating that graduates may have a competitive edge in terms of real income relative to their peers in other regions.

The top industries for History graduates include Educational Services (41.6%), Health Care & Social Assistance (16.5%), and Retail Trade (6.1%), reflecting diverse career opportunities. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 22 years, suggesting that while a History degree can lead to fulfilling careers, the return on investment may take considerable time to realize. This analysis underscores the importance of considering both immediate and long-term financial implications when pursuing this degree.

Compare with Another School

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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.