Program directoryPROGRAM-CATEGORY PAYOFF

History doctoral degree outcomes at Northwestern University

Evanston, IL · Private nonprofit · Federal field 5401

Data scope

Federal records group outcomes by college, four-digit field and credential level. A record may cover several catalog programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are close to the same-degree benchmark.

$432 below the national median for the same field and credential.

Debt pressure
Not available
Positive-payoff price ceiling
$17,795 / year
10-year scenario
Withheld by data safeguards
Price evidence
College-wide context only
OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

Not availableEarnings growth, year 1 → 5Not availableNot available
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
Not availableWorking in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
Not availableYear-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
Not availableBorrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
Not availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential
11Recent awardsIPEDS 2023–24 first-major completions in this field and credential
NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT

Size, aid and an earnings floor.

The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.

41Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
Not reportedFederal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
Not reportedPell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
Not reportedFederal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$53,884Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$70,118$16,234 above the preliminary benchmark

Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$29,167

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWINGNot available

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$70,118

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENTNot available

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

Published college costs provide the starting point.

Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.

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AVERAGE NET PRICE$29,167Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$91,250Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE7.7%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE95.1%Institution-wide completion rate
WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?

Reported earnings after completion.

Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.

Not availableYear 1
$70,118Year 4
Not availableYear 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

Repayment pressure is not available

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$5,843
Estimated loan paymentNot available
Not availableborrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$70,118 vs. $70,550

$432 below the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median
WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?

Related occupations, wages and outlook.

Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.

BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.
Managers, All Other$140,240 median wageIL estimate · 31,680 jobs · 11-9199+4.9% projected U.S. growth · 100.9k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeHistorians$89,670 median wageIL estimate · 3,450 jobs · 19-3093+3.0% projected U.S. growth · 0.3k openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreeHistory Teachers, Postsecondary$83,940 median wageIL estimate · 700 jobs · 25-1125+0.0% projected U.S. growth · 1.5k openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$79,990 median wageIL estimate · 44,670 jobs · 25-2031-0.2% projected U.S. growth · 63.5k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeNatural Sciences Managers$159,670 median wageIL estimate · 2,810 jobs · 11-9121+8.2% projected U.S. growth · 9.2k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeCurators$63,060 median wageIL estimate · 410 jobs · 25-4012+4.9% projected U.S. growth · 1.6k openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreeArchivists$59,340 median wageIL estimate · 200 jobs · 25-4011+3.4% projected U.S. growth · 1.1k openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreeMuseum Technicians and Conservators$56,720 median wageIL estimate · 400 jobs · 25-4013+3.6% projected U.S. growth · 1.6k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeTour Guides and EscortsNot available median wageU.S. estimate · Unreported jobs · 39-7011
Possible alternatives

Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.

Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.

Chicago, IL

University of Chicago

$1,142 higher earnings · $14,307 lower annual net price

Earnings
$71,260
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$14,860
View outcomes →
Los Angeles, CA

University of California, Los Angeles

$24,014 higher earnings · $16,619 lower annual net price

Earnings
$94,132
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$12,548
View outcomes →
Princeton, NJ

Princeton University

$20,417 higher earnings · $23,039 lower annual net price

Earnings
$90,535
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$6,128
View outcomes →
La Jolla, CA

University of California, San Diego

$9,753 higher earnings · $16,697 lower annual net price

Earnings
$79,871
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$12,470
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

Not reported observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

Your price and current earnings determine the result.

Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.

Calculate my payoff →