College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Focused Colleges for History in Illinois

45 Ranked Colleges
$27,900 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2021-2022, 31,443 people earned their degree in history, making the major the 23rd most popular in the United States. 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.

Across Illinois, there were 1,007 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,707 and $20,850 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois” ranking, we looked at 45 colleges that offer a degree in history. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in history.

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

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 “Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois”.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for History in Illinois

1
Blackburn crest
Blackburn College
Carlinville, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Blackburn College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois. Located in Carlinville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 Blackburn

2
Knox crest
Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Knox College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois. Knox College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 5 ’s history degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Knox History Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois list. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 21 ’s history degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UIS History Report

4
Monmouth crest
Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois

Out of the 45 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Monmouth College landed the #4 spot on the list. Monmouth College is located in Monmouth, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Monmouth College

5
Illinois College crest
Illinois College
Jacksonville, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois list. Jacksonville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 10 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois College History Report

6
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wheaton, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on History at Wheaton College Illinois

7
Illinois Wesleyan crest
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, Illinois

With a ranking of #7, Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois list. Illinois Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bloomington, Illinois. It awarded 8 ’s history degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about History at Illinois Wesleyan

8

Illinois State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 123 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Illinois State University

9
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 36 ’s history degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Eastern Illinois University History Report

10
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking. Augustana is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 9 ’s history degrees in 2021-2022.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on History at Augustana College

11

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 32 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Northeastern Illinois University

12
Greenville crest
Greenville University
Greenville, Illinois

Greenville University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking. Located in Greenville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Greenville

13
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking. Lake Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 11 students in 2021-2022.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Lake Forest College History Report

14
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 110 ’s history degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%. 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 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%.

Read more about History at UChicago

15
Quincy U crest
Quincy University
Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking. Quincy, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Quincy University

16
Trinity Christian crest
Trinity Christian College
Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #16. Trinity Christian is located in Palos Heights, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Trinity Christian

17
CSU crest
Chicago State University
Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University ranked #17 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois list. CSU is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 Chicago State University

18

Western Illinois University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking. WIU is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 21 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full WIU History Report

19

Northern Illinois University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 53 ’s history degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full NIU History Report

20
North Park crest
North Park University
Chicago, Illinois

North Park University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Full North Park History Report

21
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #21. Naperville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 9 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at North Central

22

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 42 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

23
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 86 students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%. 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%. 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 Northwestern University History Report

24
University of Saint Francis crest
University of St Francis
Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking. University of Saint Francis is a small school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 3 ’s history degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read full report on History at University of St Francis

25
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #25. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 77 ’s history degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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%.

Full Loyola Chicago History Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options