by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for history students pursuing a doctor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 807 doctor's degrees in history to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The history doctor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality history program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
The overall quality of a doctor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their doctor's degree from the school. After all, your doctor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for history students working on their doctor's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best History Doctor's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in history.
Harvard University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in history. Harvard is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge.More information about a doctorate in history from Harvard University
It is hard to beat University of Pennsylvania if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in history. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in history from University of Pennsylvania
Northwestern University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in history. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston.More information about a doctorate in history from Northwestern University
It is difficult to beat Columbia University in the City of New York if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in history. Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in history from Columbia University in the City of New York
Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in history from University of California - Los Angeles
U-M is a very large public university located in the city of Ann Arbor.More information about a doctorate in history from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in history from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Located in the city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in history from Yale University
IU Bloomington is a fairly large public university located in the city of Bloomington.More information about a doctorate in history from Indiana University - Bloomington
UMCP is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of College Park.More information about a doctorate in history from University of Maryland - College Park
View the Best History Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| History | 807 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Social Sciences | 3,723 |
| Theology & Religious Vocations | 2,718 |
| English Language & Literature | 1,184 |
| Foreign Languages & Linguistics | 1,110 |
| Communication & Journalism | 685 |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | 656 |
| Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies | 449 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 258 |
| Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities | 94 |