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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for History

156 Ranked Colleges
757 Degrees Awarded
$54,296 Avg Salary
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

History is the 23rd most popular major in the country with 31,443 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , history graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $30,453 and had an average of $22,435 in loans still to pay off.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 757 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,735 and $124,256 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major” ranking, we looked at 156 colleges that offer a degree in history. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their history program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank History Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree history students.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for History

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Center for Advanced Studies On Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major. Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y El Caribe is a small school located in San Juan, Puerto Rico that handed out 20 doctorate’s history degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on History at Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y El Caribe

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Metro. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Metro is located in San Juan, Puerto Rico and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s history degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Metro History Report

3
Claremont Graduate University crest
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, California

Out of the 156 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Claremont Graduate University landed the #3 spot on the list. Claremont Graduate University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 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 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Claremont Graduate University History Report

4
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. Princeton is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 19 doctorate’s history degrees to qualified students.

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 excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on History at Princeton

5
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 156 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #5 spot on the list. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 10 doctorate’s history degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Stanford University History Report

6
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s history degrees to 19 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Yale University

7
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

With a ranking of #7, Georgetown University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s history degrees to 10 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Read more about History at Georgetown

8
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 22 degrees to qualified doctorate’s history students in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about History at Harvard University

9
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. Brown University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full Brown University History Report

10
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 20 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full UChicago History Report

11
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s history degrees to 7 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 0.1% 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%.

Full Duke History Report

12
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

With a ranking of #12, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s history students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 Vanderbilt

13
Binghamton University crest
Binghamton University
Vestal, New York

Binghamton University ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. Binghamton University is located in Vestal, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s history degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full Binghamton University History Report

14

With a ranking of #14, University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. San Juan, Puerto Rico is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s history degrees to 5 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read more about History at UPR Rio Piedras

15

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 17 doctorate’s history degrees in 2021-2022.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 99%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on History at Columbia

16

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking, coming in at #16. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 5 doctorate’s history degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about History at UCSB

17
Middle Tennessee State University crest
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Middle Tennessee State University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking. Middle Tennessee State University is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 7 doctorate’s history degrees to qualified 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%.

Full Middle Tennessee State University History Report

18
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking. Rice University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on History at Rice University

19

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking. Louisiana State University is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 7 doctorate’s history degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read full report on History at Louisiana State University

20

With a ranking of #20, University of Maine did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. University of Maine is located in Orono, Maine and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s history degrees to qualified 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 more about History at UMaine

21
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s history students in 2021-2022.

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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on History at University of Notre Dame

22
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking, coming in at #22. Rutgers University - New Brunswick is a public institution located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Rutgers University - New Brunswick History Report

23
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. UPenn is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 19 doctorate’s history degrees in 2021-2022.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Read full report on History at University of Pennsylvania

24

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking, coming in at #24. This large school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s history degrees in 2021-2022.

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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Pitt History Report

25

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 7 doctorate’s history degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Indiana University - Bloomington

Notes and References

References

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