HUMANITIES Specialization

Medieval and Renaissance Studies

Medieval and Renaissance Studies graduates earn $44,941 four years out. How much you earn depends heavily on which career path you take and where you work. The salary breakdown on this page shows the full range.

About Medieval and Renaissance Studies

This page covers Medieval and Renaissance Studies as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Interdisciplinary Studies and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.

Medieval and Renaissance Studies is a focused area of study within Interdisciplinary Studies. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $44,941 four years out, a modest return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 58 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 105 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. The focus is on writing, analysis, and communication that transfer across industries.


Median Earnings · 4yr
$44,941
Colleges Offering
58
Graduates / Year
105
Avg Net Price / yr
$25,958

How Much Do Medieval and Renaissance Studies Graduates Earn?

Four years after finishing Medieval and Renaissance Studies, a typical graduate earns $44,941, significantly below average for bachelor's degree holders. Source: College Scorecard.

What that figure means in practice depends on what the degree cost to get, which is a matter of lifetime earnings against total outlay.

$44,941
4-Year National Median

Significantly below average. Graduate credentials or high-demand roles can raise this considerably.

Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown

Of the 105 students who complete Medieval and Renaissance Studies programs each year, the majority (46%) earn a bachelor's degree. The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.

Bachelor's 46%
Master's 23%
Post-Bacc Cert. 19%

What Can You Do With a Medieval and Renaissance Studies Degree?

This degree does not lock you into one job. Medieval and Renaissance Studies graduates show up in 1 different occupations, and History Teachers pay the most at $83,820/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.

The best-paid of these is what History Teachers earn and how fast those roles are growing, though entry requirements vary across the list.

↗ +0.0% Zone 5: Extensive preparation
$83,820
$64K $112K 25th–75th pct.
Doctoral or professional degree 1,500 openings/yr 19K employed nationally
Speaking Reading Comprehension Learning Strategies Writing Instructing
Day-to-day responsibilities

Teach courses in human history and historiography. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

  • Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
  • Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as ancient history, postwar civilizations, and the history of third-world countries.
  • Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.

Top Colleges for Medieval and Renaissance Studies

Not sure where to study Medieval and Renaissance Studies? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.

Ranked by score, that list starts with the cost and outcomes at Fordham University, and the rest follow the same measures.

# College Graduates Acceptance Net Price/yr Earnings 10yr
1 Fordham University Bronx, NY · Nonprofit 9 59.3% $44,338 $85,569
2 Yale University New Haven, CT · Nonprofit 7 3.9% $23,777 $100,533
3 University of Chicago Chicago, IL · Nonprofit 6 4.5% $14,860 $91,885
4 University of Oregon Eugene, OR · Public 5 88.3% $22,182 $61,324
5 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI · Public 5 84.6% $15,273 $53,562
6 University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN · Nonprofit 5 11.3% $26,780 $99,980
7 Cornell University Ithaca, NY · Nonprofit 4 8.8% $28,690 $104,043
8 Brown University Providence, RI · Nonprofit 4 5.4% $25,184 $93,487
9 Barnard College New York, NY · Nonprofit 3 8.8% $28,800 $80,516
10 Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA · Public 2 60.6% $32,875 $63,435
11 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI · Public 2 15.6% $13,138 $83,648
12 Georgetown University Washington, DC · Nonprofit 2 12.9% $40,815 $103,494
13 The Catholic University of America Washington, DC · Nonprofit 2 82.8% $29,561 $73,250
14 Dickinson College Carlisle, PA · Nonprofit 2 42.1% $37,607 $70,204
15 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN · Public 1 41.6% $18,976 $60,249
16 University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA · Public 1 33% $16,109 $74,915
17 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA · Public 1 83.6% $22,531 $64,762
18 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA · Nonprofit 1 14% $39,949 $63,268
19 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO · Nonprofit 1 75% $24,398 $70,783
20 University of Missouri-Kansas City Kansas City, MO · Public 1 72.2% $13,310 $59,637

Ranked by Medieval and Renaissance Studies graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats. Read our methodology →

Plan Your Path

Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Medieval and Renaissance Studies program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find schools that match your profile.

Medieval and Renaissance Studies Degree: Pros & Cons

Medieval and Renaissance Studies carries financial trade-offs prospective students should weigh carefully. The 0 strengths and 4 concerns below are drawn from College Scorecard earnings, BLS job growth data, and IPEDS completion counts.

CONS
  • Below-average earnings Four-year median of $44,941 falls below the national median for bachelor's degree holders.
  • Advanced degree often expected Top roles in this field typically expect a master's degree or higher. A bachelor's may be a starting point rather than a terminal credential for the most competitive positions.
  • Slow job growth Top related careers project less than 3% growth over the next decade; limited expansion means more competition for new openings.
  • Long earnings breakeven At median salary and average net price, recovering education costs versus a baseline wage takes roughly 6.9 years.

Medieval and Renaissance Studies Degree: Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Medieval and Renaissance Studies graduates earn?
$44,941 is the national median four years after finishing the program. The full spread above and below that figure has not been reported, so treat it as a midpoint rather than what any one graduate will earn. Source: College Scorecard.
What jobs can you get with a Medieval and Renaissance Studies degree?
History Teachers are one path, and it pays a median of $83,820 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.
How long does a Medieval and Renaissance Studies program take?
Four years of full-time study for a Medieval and Renaissance Studies bachelor's degree, the standard timeline for this field. If you want a faster route into the workforce, community colleges offer a two-year associate option instead.
How many colleges offer Medieval and Renaissance Studies?
58 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.
Is a Medieval and Renaissance Studies degree worth it?
$44,941 median earnings four years out against $25,958 a year in average net price. That is a slow payback, so cost matters more than usual here: a cheaper school changes the answer. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the difference between Medieval and Renaissance Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies?
Medieval and Renaissance Studies is the narrower of the two: Interdisciplinary Studies covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Medieval and Renaissance Studies-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.
What skills do employers look for in Medieval and Renaissance Studies graduates?
Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Medieval and Renaissance Studies graduates consistently look for writing, critical analysis, and cross-cultural communication. Employers value the ability to synthesize complex information clearly, skills that transfer into communications, law, consulting, and content roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.

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