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2025 Best History Master's Degree Schools in California

8 Colleges in California
239 Master's Degrees
$40,928 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you're seeking a Master's Degree in history, you will have fewer peers than average since the major degree program is the #24 one in the country in terms of popularity.As such, your educational options may be more limited than if you were in a more popular field.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 8 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best History Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 239 master's degrees in history to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great History School for Your Master's Degree

Best History Master's Degree Schools in California Your choice of history for getting your master's degree school matters. 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:

Quality Overall Is Important

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More History Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best History Master's Degree Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study History in California

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in history.

Top California Schools for a Master's in History

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
13 Annual Graduates

University of California - Irvine is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in history. UC Irvine is a fairly large public university located in the city of Irvine.More information about a master’s in history from University of California - Irvine

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
13 Annual Graduates

San Diego State University is a wonderful choice for students interested in a master's degree in history. SDSU is a fairly large public university located in the city of San Diego.More information about a master’s in history from San Diego State University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
13 Annual Graduates

It is difficult to beat California State University - Long Beach if you want to pursue a master's degree in history. CSULB is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Long Beach.More information about a master’s in history from California State University - Long Beach

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
17 Annual Graduates

California State University - Sacramento is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in history. Located in the large city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in history from California State University - Sacramento

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
22 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in history from California State University - Fullerton

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
21 Annual Graduates

SFSU is a fairly large public university located in the city of San Francisco.More information about a master’s in history from San Francisco State University

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
21 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Northridge, CSUN is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in history from California State University - Northridge

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
14 Annual Graduates

Cal State LA is a very large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a master’s in history from California State University - Los Angeles

Best History Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best History Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 31 25
Oregon 29 14
Hawaii 27 3
Nevada 27 10

View All Rankings >

History Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
History 239

Related Major Annual Graduates
Social Sciences 1,775
Communication & Journalism 1,236
Theology & Religious Vocations 1,179
English Language & Literature 895
Foreign Languages & Linguistics 332
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies 238
Philosophy & Religious Studies 215
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences 156
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities 110

Notes and References

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