History: Duke University vs University of Massachusetts-Boston

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
Duke University
Durham, NC
In-State
2.6x
$263,220 tuition
8.5x
$61,984 tuition
Out-of-State
2.6x
$263,220 tuition
3.5x
$148,696 tuition
$686,142 10-yr earnings · Private nonprofit
$526,030 10-yr earnings · Public

Head-to-Head

Duke University University of Massachusetts-Boston
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 2.6x 8.5x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 2.6x 3.5x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $263,220 $61,984
Year 1 Earnings $60,750 $46,908
10-Year Earnings $686K $526K
Median Debt $13,000 $23,801
Debt-to-Earnings Ratio 2.6 months 6.1 months
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 48/100 52/100
Acceptance Rate 6.8% 83.0%

Both programs have high AI automation risk (44% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to History graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →

ROI Breakdown

How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for History graduates.

Duke University University of Massachusetts-Boston
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $263,220 $61,984
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $263,220 $148,696
10-Year Projected Earnings $686K $526K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 2.6x 8.5x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 2.6x 3.5x
5-Year Salary Growth +41% +18%

"Earnings Multiple" = projected 10-year earnings ÷ 4-year tuition. Higher is better. Not a discounted financial ROI.

AI Disruption Scenarios

Both schools share identical AI exposure for History (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

Duke University University of Massachusetts-Boston
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $707K $686K $612K $530K $526K $489K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 2.7x 2.6x 2.3x 8.5x 8.5x 7.9x
DegreeWorth Score 49 48 43 53 52 47

For the full AI analysis of History career paths, see the Duke University or University of Massachusetts-Boston program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

Projected annual earnings for History graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$201,236
University of Massachusetts-Boston saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$13,842/yr
Duke University grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
2.6x / 8.5x
Out-of-state: 2.6x / 3.5x

Career Paths

History graduates from both schools map to the same career paths. Differences in earnings reflect school prestige, location, and employer networks.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Natural sciences managers $161,180 8,500 +3.7% 50%
Managers, all other $136,550 106,700 +4.5% 47%
History teachers, postsecondary $81,500 1,700 -0.2% 51%
Historians $74,050 300 +2.2% 47%
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education $64,580 66,200 -1.6% 33%
Curators $61,770 1,800 +7.0% 50%
Archivists $61,570 1,100 +3.8% 50%
Museum technicians and conservators $47,460 1,900 +5.4% 24%
Want to compare different schools or majors? Try the freeform comparison tool →

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for History: Duke University or University of Massachusetts-Boston?
Duke University scores 48/100 while University of Massachusetts-Boston scores 52/100. University of Massachusetts-Boston has significantly lower tuition, which drives its higher ROI. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize raw earnings or return on investment.
Which school has better ROI for History?
Duke University has an in-state earnings multiple of 2.6x vs University of Massachusetts-Boston's 8.5x. That means University of Massachusetts-Boston grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition. The $201,236 tuition gap is the biggest driver of this difference.
How do Duke University and University of Massachusetts-Boston compare on History earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $60,750 at Duke University vs $46,908 at University of Massachusetts-Boston. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $686,142 vs $526,030 — a difference of $160,112.
How much does History cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $263,220 at Duke University and $61,984 at University of Massachusetts-Boston. Median debt at graduation is $13,000 vs $23,801. Both programs lead to the same History career paths — the cost difference is the main factor in ROI.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.