College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best History Schools

377 Colleges in the United States
31,443 History Degrees Awarded
$30,453 Avg Early-Career Salary
You'll be studying one of the lesser sought-after majors if you pursue a degree in history. It is ranked #23 out of 38 major degree programs in terms of popularity. This may make is a little harder to find a school that is a good fit for you.

College Factual looked at 377 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best History Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 31,443 degrees in history to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great History School

Best History Schools Your choice of history school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall History School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

History Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in History
Bachelor's Degrees in History
Master's Degrees in History
Doctor's Degrees in History

The history school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best History Schools. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for History in the United States

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the history degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in History

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
228 History Degrees Awarded
21.9% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in history needs to check out Harvard University. Located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were approximately 228 history students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the history program at Harvard University make $26,302 above the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in history from Harvard University

2
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
170 History Degrees Awarded
2.9% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat Yale University if you want to pursue a degree in history. Yale is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New Haven. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.

There were roughly 170 history students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent year we have data available. Those history students who get their degree from Yale University receive $21,904 more than the typical history graduate.

More information about a degree in history from Yale University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
102 History Degrees Awarded
30.4% Growth in Graduates

University of Pennsylvania is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in history. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were approximately 102 history students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the history program at University of Pennsylvania make $19,927 above the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in history from University of Pennsylvania

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
120 History Degrees Awarded
36.7% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat Princeton University if you wish to pursue a degree in history. Located in the small city of Princeton, Princeton is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Princeton is a great university overall.

There were about 120 history students who graduated with this degree at Princeton in the most recent data year. Those history students who get their degree from Princeton University receive $20,322 more than the standard history grad.

More information about a degree in history from Princeton University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
110 History Degrees Awarded
6.4% Growth in Graduates

UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 110 history students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the history program at University of Chicago earn $9,893 above the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in history from University of Chicago

6
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
55 History Degrees Awarded
$45,091 Median Starting Salary

Duke is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were about 55 history students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the history major at Duke University earn $14,638 more than the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in history from Duke University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
66 History Degrees Awarded
27.3% Growth in Graduates

Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Notre Dame. This university ranks 1st out of 42 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were about 66 history students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available. History degree recipients from University of Notre Dame get an earnings boost of about $16,986 over the typical earnings of history graduates.

More information about a degree in history from University of Notre Dame

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
63 History Degrees Awarded
$40,458 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were about 63 history students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available. Those history students who get their degree from Vanderbilt University receive $10,005 more than the standard history graduate.

More information about a degree in history from Vanderbilt University

9
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
71 History Degrees Awarded
$46,691 Median Starting Salary

Georgetown is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were approximately 71 history students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the history program at Georgetown University earn $16,238 more than the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in history from Georgetown University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
177 History Degrees Awarded
$41,934 Median Starting Salary

Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 177 history students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the history program at Columbia University in the City of New York earn $11,481 more than the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in history from Columbia University in the City of New York

11
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
94 History Degrees Awarded
3.2% Growth in Graduates

Brown is a large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Providence. This university ranks 1st out of 9 schools for overall quality in the state of Rhode Island.

There were about 94 history students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent year we have data available. Those history students who get their degree from Brown University earn $12,131 more than the average history student.

More information about a degree in history from Brown University

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
86 History Degrees Awarded
4.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 86 history students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Those history students who get their degree from Northwestern University earn $8,538 more than the typical history graduate.

More information about a degree in history from Northwestern University

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
156 History Degrees Awarded
9.6% Growth in Graduates

NYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. This university ranks 4th out of 142 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 156 history students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the history degree program at New York University get $15,537 above the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in history from New York University

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
97 History Degrees Awarded
7.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were about 97 history students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the history program earn about $29,963 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in history from University of Southern California

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
163 History Degrees Awarded
2.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 163 history students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available. History degree recipients from University of Virginia - Main Campus earn a boost of approximately $8,437 over the typical income of history graduates.

More information about a degree in history from University of Virginia - Main Campus

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
118 History Degrees Awarded
0.8% Growth in Graduates

UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Champaign. This university ranks 3rd out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 118 history students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. History degree recipients from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign receive an earnings boost of approximately $9,029 above the typical earnings of history majors.

More information about a degree in history from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

17
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
34 History Degrees Awarded
$47,243 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Medford, Tufts is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were approximately 34 history students who graduated with this degree at Tufts in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the history degree program at Tufts University make $16,790 above the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in history from Tufts University

18
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
49 History Degrees Awarded
4.1% Growth in Graduates

Emory is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Atlanta. This university ranks 2nd out of 68 colleges for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were approximately 49 history students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent data year. Those history students who get their degree from Emory University receive $6,833 more than the standard history graduate.

More information about a degree in history from Emory University

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
188 History Degrees Awarded
18.1% Growth in Graduates

UW - Madison is a fairly large public university located in the city of Madison. This university ranks 1st out of 46 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were roughly 188 history students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the history program make around $28,843 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in history from University of Wisconsin - Madison

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
132 History Degrees Awarded
$31,870 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 132 history students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients typically earn about $31,870 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in history from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
265 History Degrees Awarded
$25,829 Median Starting Salary

UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. This university ranks 5th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 265 history students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the history program report average early career wages of $25,829.

More information about a degree in history from University of California - Los Angeles

22
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 History Degrees Awarded
$42,685 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 1st out of 17 colleges for overall quality in the state of New Hampshire.

There were approximately 40 history students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the history degree program at Dartmouth College earn $12,232 above the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in history from Dartmouth College

23
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
76 History Degrees Awarded
$47,370 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. This college ranks 8th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were approximately 76 history students who graduated with this degree at Boston College in the most recent data year. Those history students who get their degree from Boston College earn $16,917 more than the average history student.

More information about a degree in history from Boston College

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
91 History Degrees Awarded
14.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 8 colleges for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were approximately 91 history students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent year we have data available. History degree recipients from George Washington University earn a boost of approximately $11,715 above the typical income of history majors.

More information about a degree in history from George Washington University

25
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
157 History Degrees Awarded
5.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were approximately 157 history students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the history program state that they receive average early career income of $31,678.

More information about a degree in history from University of California - Berkeley

Rest of the Top Best History Schools

26
27
28
29
30
31
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
32

33

34
35
Amherst crest
Amherst College
Amherst, MA
36
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
37
38
39
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, MA
40
41

42

43
44
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC
45
46
47
48
49
50
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, NY

Additional Award Winners

This section shows the rest of the colleges awarded a Best History Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 377 different United States history schools we analyzed.

RankCollegeLocation
51University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT
52Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA
53University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
54Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA
55Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury, VT
56Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for History students that almost earned our Best History Schools award.

RankCollegeLocation
57Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL
58Gonzaga UniversitySpokane, WA
59Rutgers University - New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJ
60Virginia Military InstituteLexington, VA
61Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
62Illinois State UniversityNormal, IL
63University of GeorgiaAthens, GA
63Brandeis UniversityWaltham, MA
65Kenyon CollegeGambier, OH
66The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL
67University of South Carolina - ColumbiaColumbia, SC
68University of California - Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA
69North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, NC
70Centre CollegeDanville, KY
71University of IowaIowa City, IA
72Indiana University - BloomingtonBloomington, IN
73University of California - RiversideRiverside, CA
74University of California - IrvineIrvine, CA
75Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI

History by Region

View the Best History Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

History Majors to Study

MajorAnnual Graduates
History31,443

View All History Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options