by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2023 ranking, College Factual looked at 244 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for history students pursuing a master's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 3,509 master's degrees in history to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The history master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for history students working on their master's degree.
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best History Master's Degree Schools list to help you make the college decision.
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
The online Master of Arts in History degree program can deepen your understanding of how history is made.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in history. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in history needs to check out Yale University. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of New Haven.More information about a master’s in history from Yale University
It is difficult to beat Harvard University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in history. Located in the midsize city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in history from Harvard University
Princeton University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in history. Located in the city of Princeton, Princeton is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in history from Princeton University
University of Pennsylvania is a wonderful decision for individuals pursuing a master's degree in history. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia.More information about a master’s in history from University of Pennsylvania
Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Durham.More information about a master’s in history from Duke University
UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.More information about a master’s in history from University of Chicago
Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Notre Dame.More information about a master’s in history from University of Notre Dame
Brown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Providence.More information about a master’s in history from Brown University
Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York.
Master's recipients from the history degree program at Columbia University in the City of New York make $4,606 above the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a master’s in history from Columbia University in the City of New York
NYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York.More information about a master’s in history from New York University
Georgetown is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington.More information about a master’s in history from Georgetown University
Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in history from Vanderbilt University
Located in the suburb of Medford, Tufts is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in history from Tufts University
Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in history from Northwestern University
Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in history from University of Virginia - Main Campus
Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in history from Cornell University
Emory is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Atlanta.More information about a master’s in history from Emory University
American Military University is a very large private for-profit university located in the town of Charles Town.
Master's recipients from the history program at American Public University System earn $14,189 more than the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a master’s in history from American Public University System
Located in the city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in history from George Washington University
Located in the city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in history from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in history from University of Southern California
UW - Madison is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Madison.More information about a master’s in history from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Located in the city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
Those history students who get their master's degree from Boston College make $10,679 more than the average history grad.
More information about a master’s in history from Boston College
Located in the town of Northfield, Norwich is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.
History master's degree recipients from Norwich University earn a boost of around $10,983 over the typical income of history majors.
More information about a master’s in history from Norwich University
UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles.More information about a master’s in history from University of California - Los Angeles
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best History Master's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 37 | Simmons University | Boston, MA |
| 38 | Arizona State University - Tempe | Tempe, AZ |
| 39 | Indiana University - Bloomington | Bloomington, IN |
| 40 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 41 | Monmouth University | West Long Branch, NJ |
| 42 | Northeastern University | Boston, MA |
| 43 | George Mason University | Fairfax, VA |
| 44 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus | Seattle, WA |
| 45 | Iowa State University | Ames, IA |
| 45 | Marquette University | Milwaukee, WI |
| 47 | University of Oklahoma Norman Campus | Norman, OK |
| 48 | North Carolina State University | Raleigh, NC |
View the Best History Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
History is one of 0 different types of History programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General History | 3,158 |
| Other History | 108 |
| Military History | 78 |
| American History (United States) | 73 |
| Public/Applied History | 63 |
| History and Philosophy of Science and Technology | 28 |
| European History | 1 |
