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2023 Best Value Colleges for History (Income $0-$30k)

375 Ranked Colleges
32,731 Degrees Awarded
$4,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 32,731 people earned their degree in history, making the major the 23rd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, history graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $30,467 and had an average of $23,587 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 375 colleges that offered a degree in history. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great history programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the history program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank History Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More History Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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.

Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for history students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for History (Income $0-$30k)

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Out of the 375 schools in the Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Duke is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 61 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Duke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best History Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Duke is $371 for History students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on History at Duke

2
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Princeton University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 76 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our history students whose families make $0-$30k list, Princeton has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best History Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Princeton is $2,958 for History students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on History at Princeton University

3
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Yale is a fairly large school located in New Haven, Connecticut that handed out 165 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Yale also took the #1 spot in our “Best History Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Yale is $961 for history students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about History at Yale

4
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brown University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Brown is a private not-for-profit institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 91 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our history students whose families make $0-$30k list, Brown has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best History Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brown University is $1,468 for History students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Brown University History Report

5
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 375 schools in the Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #5 spot on the list. Harvard is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 178 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best History Schools” list. It costs about $2,564 for history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Harvard University.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Harvard

6
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best History Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UPenn is $580 for history students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about History at University of Pennsylvania

7
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 103 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

UChicago also took the #6 spot in our “Best History Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,500 for History students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UChicago History Report

8
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 82 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best History Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $245 for history students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about History at Northwestern

9
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

With a ranking of #9, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Vanderbilt is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 73 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

Vanderbilt also took the #9 spot in our “Best History Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $3,176 for History students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Vanderbilt University

10

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 160 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best History Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for history students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

11
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 76 students in 2020-2021.

Georgetown also made our “Best History Schools” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $3,077 for History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Georgetown University.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Georgetown University History Report

12
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Williams is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It awarded 33 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Williams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best History Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Williams College is $1,451 for History students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Williams College History Report

13
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 110 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our “Best History Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $65 for History students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on History at UF

14
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Medford, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

Tufts also made our “Best History Schools” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $8,122 for History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Tufts.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Full Tufts University History Report

15

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 154 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, UW - Madison is in the top on our “Best History Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $3,981 for history students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UW - Madison History Report

16

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 117 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

UIUC also took the #24 spot in our “Best History Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $4,858 for history students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

17
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and it awarded 91 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our history students whose families make $0-$30k list, Boston College has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best History Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $10,212 for History students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on History at Boston College

18

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 159 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UNC Chapel Hill also did well on our “Best History Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $3,753 for history students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

19

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 218 students in 2020-2021.

Columbia also made our “Best History Schools” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $9,873 for History students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Columbia History Report

20
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. William & Mary is a public institution located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 130 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

William & Mary excels when it comes to history quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $5,972 for History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend William & Mary.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at William & Mary

21
Amherst crest
Amherst College
Amherst, Massachusetts

Amherst College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. This small school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 25 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Amherst is also in the top of our “Best History Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best History Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Amherst College is $4,468 for History students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on History at Amherst College

22
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wake Forest University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Wake Forest University is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 33 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

Wake Forest University also claimed a top spot on our “Best History Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Wake Forest University is $10,401 for history students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about History at Wake Forest University

23
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 57 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cornell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best History Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Cornell University is $5,244 for History students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about History at Cornell University

24
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #24, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 159 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best History Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $12,476 for History students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Virginia History Report

25
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 48 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best History Schools” list. It costs about $9,872 for History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Notre Dame.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Notre Dame History Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
29
30
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana
31
32
33
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
34
35
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont
36
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York
37
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York
38
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia
39
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
40
41
Smith crest
Smith College
Northampton, Massachusetts
42
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia
43
44
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire
45
CCNY crest
The City College of New York
New York, New York
46
46
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina
48
49
50
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value History Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Florida International University Miami, FL
52 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
53 Lehman College Bronx, NY
53 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
55 Brigham Young University - Idaho Rexburg, ID
56 Trinity College Hartford, CT
57 Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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