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2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region

217 Ranked Colleges
3,756 Degrees Awarded
$31,700 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

History is the 23rd most popular major in the country with 32,731 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,756 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,228 and $24,399 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 217 colleges that offer a degree in history. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in history.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region history students.

1

Out of the 217 schools in the Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #1 spot on the list. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 160 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 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 U-M

2

Out of the 217 schools in the Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. Ohio State is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 155 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Ohio State University - Main Campus History Report

3

Out of the 217 schools in the Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 154 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.

Read full report on History at UW - Madison

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 117 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about History at UIUC

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 107 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Illinois State

6
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 103 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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

7

With a ranking of #7, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 83 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full IU Bloomington History Report

8
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

With a ranking of #8, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 82 students in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 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.

Read full report on History at Northwestern University

9
Ashland crest
Ashland University
Ashland, Ohio

Ashland University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. Ashland is a small school located in Ashland, Ohio that handed out 75 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Ashland University History Report

10

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UWM is a large public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 71 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Full UWM History Report

11

Ohio University - Athens Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Athens, Ohio, this large public school handed out 67 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

Read more about History at Ohio University - Athens Campus

12
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ball State University is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Ball State University

13

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this large public school awarded 53 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus History Report

14

Northern Illinois University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 51 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Northern Illinois University History Report

14
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 51 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Oakland History Report

16
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on History at University of Notre Dame

17
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 47 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Michigan State University

17
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #17, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 47 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 Purdue

17

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 University of Illinois at Chicago History Report

20

Kent State University at Kent came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Kent State University at Kent is a large school located in Kent, Ohio that handed out 46 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on History at Kent State

21

Miami University - Oxford ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large school located in Oxford, Ohio that handed out 44 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Miami University - Oxford History Report

21
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 44 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Loyola University Chicago

23

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #23. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large public school situated in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It awarded 43 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater History Report

24

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 41 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

25
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Central Michigan University is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 39 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Central Michigan University

25
Marquette crest
Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Marquette University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Marquette is a fairly large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 39 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, 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 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Marquette

25
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Eastern Michigan is a public institution located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Eastern Michigan History Report

Rest of the Best 31 in Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region

Not only did these schools make the top 31 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

28
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois
28
30
30
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio
30
33

Notes and References

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