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2023 Most Popular Colleges for History in Iowa

28 Ranked Colleges
336 Degrees Awarded
$29,000 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa

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 “Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

Across Iowa, there were 336 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,393 and $24,697 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa” ranking, we looked at 28 colleges that offer a degree in history. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular history programs in the United States.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 Iowa” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa”.

1
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University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 78 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full Iowa History Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa list. Iowa State is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 56 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on History at Iowa State University

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Iowa. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa list. Cedar Falls, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 34 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at University of Northern Iowa

4
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Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grinnell College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa list. Grinnell College is a small school located in Grinnell, Iowa that handed out 29 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Grinnell College History Report

5
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Drake University
Des Moines, Iowa

Out of the 28 schools in the Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Drake University landed the #5 spot on the list. Drake University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. 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.

Read more about History at Drake University

6
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Cornell College
Mount Vernon, Iowa

Cornell College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa ranking. Cornell College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Mount Vernon, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Cornell College

7
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Luther College
Decorah, Iowa

Luther College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa ranking, coming in at #7. Luther College is a small school located in Decorah, Iowa that handed out 11 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Luther History Report

8
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Coe College
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Coe College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa ranking. Located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Coe College

8
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Simpson College
Indianola, Iowa

Simpson College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa ranking. Simpson College is a small school located in Indianola, Iowa that handed out 10 ’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%.

Read more about History at Simpson College

10
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Loras College
Dubuque, Iowa

With a ranking of #10, Loras College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa list. Loras College is a small school located in Dubuque, Iowa that handed out 8 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Loras

10

Graceland University - Lamoni ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa list. This small school is located in Lamoni, Iowa, and it awarded 8 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Graceland University - Lamoni History Report

10
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Central College
Pella, Iowa

Central College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa ranking. Pella, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

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 Central College History Report

13
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Northwestern College
Orange City, Iowa

With a ranking of #13, Northwestern College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa list. Orange City, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full NWC History Report

14
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Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, Iowa

Buena Vista University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa ranking. This small school is located in Storm Lake, Iowa, and it awarded 6 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 Buena Vista University History Report

15
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Morningside College
Sioux City, Iowa

Morningside College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Sioux City, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Morningside College

15

Saint Ambrose University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa ranking, coming in at #15. St. Ambrose University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Davenport, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Full St. Ambrose University History Report

15
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Briar Cliff University
Sioux City, Iowa

Briar Cliff University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa ranking. This small school is located in Sioux City, Iowa, and it awarded 5 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Briar Cliff History Report

15
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Grand View University
Des Moines, Iowa

Grand View University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa list. Grand View University is a small school located in Des Moines, Iowa that handed out 5 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Grand View University History Report

15
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Wartburg College
Waverly, Iowa

Wartburg College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa ranking, coming in at #15. Wartburg College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waverly, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Wartburg College

20
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Dordt University
Sioux Center, Iowa

With a ranking of #20, Dordt University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa list. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

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 more about History at Dordt

20
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Clarke University
Dubuque, Iowa

Clarke University ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa list. Clarke University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Dubuque, Iowa. It awarded 4 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.

Read full report on History at Clarke University

22

William Penn University ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa list. William Penn University is a small school located in Oskaloosa, Iowa that handed out 3 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on History at William Penn University

23
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Mount Mercy University
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Mount Mercy University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa list. Cedar Rapids, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.

Full Mount Mercy History Report

23

Upper Iowa University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa ranking. This small school is located in Fayette, Iowa, and it awarded 1 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Upper Iowa University History Report

23
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Waldorf University
Forest City, Iowa

Waldorf University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Iowa ranking. Waldorf is a small private for-profit school situated in Forest City, Iowa. It awarded 1 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on History at Waldorf

Notes and References

References

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