by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for history students pursuing a master's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 347 master's degrees in history during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
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. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
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.
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.
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 colleges for history students working on their master's degree.
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 Master's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in history.
Northwestern University is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a master's degree in history. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston.More information about a master’s in history from Northwestern University
Every student who is interested in a master's degree in history has to look into University of Wisconsin - Madison. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in history from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Indiana University - Bloomington is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in history. IU Bloomington is a very large public university located in the city of Bloomington.More information about a master’s in history from Indiana University - Bloomington
Loyola University Chicago is a good option for students interested in a master's degree in history. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in history from Loyola University Chicago
Ashland is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Ashland.More information about a master’s in history from Ashland University
Central Michigan is a large public university located in the town of Mount Pleasant.More information about a master’s in history from Central Michigan University
Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in history from Illinois State University
Located in the city of Indianapolis, IUPUI is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in history from Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis
BGSU is a fairly large public university located in the town of Bowling Green.More information about a master’s in history from Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
Wright State University - Main Campus is a medium-sized public university located in the large suburb of Dayton.More information about a master’s in history from Wright State University - Main Campus
Explore the best history colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| History | 347 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Social Sciences | 2,552 |
| Theology & Religious Vocations | 1,986 |
| Communication & Journalism | 1,442 |
| English Language & Literature | 792 |
| Foreign Languages & Linguistics | 426 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 302 |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | 270 |
| Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities | 230 |
| Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies | 204 |