What can you do with a History degree from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona?

First, some facts. Of the History graduates from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona we've analyzed , here's how many have used (or NOT used) their degree in their career:


These are estimates based on AI analysis of 10 LinkedIn profiles (see below).

The verdict? Bad. Overall, with an average relevance score of 39%, History graduates from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona have a substantially lower likelihood (-28%) of finding work in this field compared to the average graduate across all fields:

Average score: 39%
Average relevance score across all fields: 67%

And for comparison, here's the chart for all profiles we've looked at across all degrees.

× Chart

Also, after graduating, 50% of these graduates have pursued further education other than another Bachelor's degree (such as a Masters degree or other), compared to the average across all profiles of 35%. This suggests you may need more than just a Bachelors degree to be competitive as a History graduate.

See the details:

View a random History graduate from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona and our analysis:


Relevance score: 100%

We think this person has gone into a career highly relevant to their degree.

DEGREE INFO

Graduated in 2015 from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona with a Bachelor of Arts - BA in History. Also pursued further education since (see below).

JOB HISTORY SINCE GRADUATION
Elementary School Teacher
St. Cecilia School
Oct 2015 - Jun 2018
The role of an Elementary School Teacher directly involves the application of historical knowledge to create engaging curriculum, making it relevant to the Bachelor's degree in History.

Elementary School Teacher
St. Paul Dual Language Academy
Jul 2018 - Jun 2021
As a teacher at a dual language academy, this position likely incorporates historical content into bilingual education, directly utilizing the knowledge gained from the History degree.

First Grade Teacher
High Point Academy
Jul 2021 - Jul 2022
The role of a First Grade Teacher at High Point Academy requires the integration of historical concepts into lesson plans, utilizing skills from the Bachelor's degree in History.

Third Grade Teacher
High Point Academy
Aug 2022 - Present
As a Third Grade Teacher, this job similarly involves teaching history-related content, making substantial use of the skills and knowledge from the Bachelor's degree in History.

FURTHER DEGREES DONE SINCE GRADUATING
Master of Science - MS
Mount Saint Mary's University
2018 - 2020
ABOUT

Experienced Elementary School Teacher with a demonstrated history of working in education. Skilled in Classroom Management, Lesson Planning, Educational Technology, Differentiated Instruction, and Building/Implementing Curriculum. Strong education professional with a Master of Science in Education.MS EducationBA History

What jobs can you get with a History degree from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona?

The top 10 most common jobs done by the graduates we've analyzed (ranked most common to least) are:


So, when you look at the job history of people with a History degree from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, it’s pretty varied! A lot of graduates have ended up in teaching roles, especially as history or social science teachers, which naturally aligns well with their degree. These positions—like being a Civil Government and US History Teacher or a Social Science Teacher—actively use historical knowledge in their daily work, showing that they’re clearly connected to what they studied. On the other hand, many others have taken jobs in areas like customer service, mortgage sales, and even marketing, where historical knowledge isn’t really a factor at all.

Overall, it seems like there’s a split between those who’ve leveraged their History degree in educational settings and those who have transitioned into roles where history plays a minimal role—or none at all. While teaching jobs highlight the relevance of their education, many of the other positions seem to stem from a different set of skills entirely, focusing more on operations or sales. This trend suggests that while a History degree can open some doors in education, many graduates find themselves in fields that don’t directly relate to their studies. It's a mixed bag, but it’s clear that the degree provides a solid foundation for teaching history, while its application in other sectors tends to be more of a stretch.

Here is a visual representation of the most common words in job titles for History graduates (this is across all History graduates we've analyzed, not just those who went to California State Polytechnic University-Pomona):

What kind of career trajectories do History graduates from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona have? What do they do 1, 5 or 10 years out?

Looking through the career trajectories of graduates from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona who majored in History, there's a notable trend toward education and related fields. Many of the individuals who graduated in the early 2010s, especially those from 2011 to 2015, initially entered the teaching profession. If you check their first jobs, a significant number became teachers or student teachers right after graduation. For instance, some took up roles as elementary or middle school teachers, while others worked as educational specialists. This suggests that a lot of these graduates found their footing in classrooms, which is a solid path for a History degree since it allows them to share their passion for the subject with younger generations.

As time went on, it seems that many of these graduates continued building careers within the education sector or related fields. A lot of them stayed in teaching roles or transitioned into positions that involved educational support or instructional design. However, not everyone stuck to a strictly educational career. Some found their way into sectors like sales, operations, or even business immigration consulting. This indicates that while a History degree can lead to fulfilling careers in education, it also opens up opportunities in other industries, especially for those who diversified their skills along the way. So, whether they're shaping future minds in the classroom or navigating the business world, it's clear that History graduates have carved out diverse and meaningful career paths. However, there's also a fair number who ended up in roles that don’t directly relate to their degree, particularly in sales or operations, which may make you wonder about the sustainability of those paths.

How hard is a History degree from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona?

Honestly, a Bachelor’s degree in History at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, like most history programs, can be a mixed bag in terms of difficulty. It's not considered the hardest degree out there, but it definitely has its challenging moments. You'll find a lot of reading and writing, which can pile up depending on the courses you choose. If you're passionate about history and enjoy digging into the past, that makes it a lot easier to handle. But if you're not into analyzing texts or writing essays, it might feel like a slog. Overall, it strikes a balance—it's more demanding than some majors, but if you stay organized and stay curious about the subject, you can definitely manage it!

How long does it take?

Most commonly, in the LinkedIn profiles we've looked at, it takes people 4 years to finish a Bachelor degree in History.

Do History graduates from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona tend to make good money?

So, looking at the job history of these History grads from Cal Poly Pomona, it seems like they’re mostly following a path in education or related fields, which can be pretty hit or miss when it comes to salaries. The teachers have stable careers, but pay can be on the lower side, especially early on—like those who started as student teachers or substitute teachers. A couple of them have ventured into mortgage and e-commerce, which generally pay better, especially with experience, but it looks like they hopped around a lot between positions. Overall, while they’re making decent money now—especially those in more specialized roles—it appears a lot of them have gone through some financial ups and downs along the way. So, it’s a mixed bag, but a lot will depend on how they leverage their skills in the long run!

What buzzwords do History graduates use to describe themselves?

Here is a visual representation of the most common words seen in the "about" section of LinkedIn profiles who have a Bachelor degree in History (this is across all History graduates we've analyzed, not just those who went to California State Polytechnic University-Pomona). This may or may not be useful:

What are the best colleges for History?

Here are all colleges offering a Bachelor degree in History (ordered by the average relevance score of their History graduates, best to worst) where we have analyzed at least 10 of their graduates:

College Score Count
University of Connecticut 60 10
The University of Georgia 56 11
College of Charleston 54 10
Yale University 53 21
University of North Texas 52 21
University of Virginia 50 18
University of Pittsburgh 49 12
University of California, Santa Cruz 48 13
Rutgers University 48 10
Towson University 47 10
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 46 15
Binghamton University 46 10
University of Florida 45 23
Brigham Young University 45 15
Christopher Newport University 45 12
The University of Texas at Austin 44 16
University of Houston 44 19
San Francisco State University 44 17
Texas State University 44 11
The George Washington University 44 13
University of Washington 43 17
San Jose State University 43 12
Southern New Hampshire University 42 15
James Madison University 42 18
Louisiana State University 42 12
Texas Tech University 41 15
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo 41 12
Hillsdale College 40 10
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona 39 10
University of South Carolina 39 11
Texas A&M University 38 23
Florida State University 37 21
University of California, Los Angeles 37 37
North Carolina State University 37 14
University of Oregon 37 11
Northern Arizona University 36 10
University of Central Florida 35 24
Old Dominion University 34 10
Davidson College 34 11
West Chester University of Pennsylvania 33 10
Columbia College 33 13
University of Michigan 31 15
University of Nebraska at Omaha 31 11
Arizona State University 30 13
George Mason University 29 14
University of Mississippi 29 10
Virginia Commonwealth University 28 10
University of North Carolina at Charlotte 26 16
University of California, Berkeley 25 16
The Citadel 24 11
The Ohio State University 23 18
University of Arizona 23 13
Georgia State University 23 11
Michigan State University 20 11
University of South Florida 18 20
Ashford University 18 11
University of Kentucky 17 12
Virginia Military Institute 14 11