2025 Best History Schools in Illinois
10
Colleges in Illinois
1,007
History Degrees Awarded
$33,218
Avg Early-Career Salary
History degree programs are on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of popularity. In fact, the major ranks #23 out of the 38 majors we look at each year. As such, your educational options may be more limited than if you were in a more popular field.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 10 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best History Schools in Illinois ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,007 degrees in history to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great History School
Your choice of history school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall History School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
History Rankings by Degree Level
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 the Best History Schools in Illinois.
You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you.
When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.
Best Schools for History in Illinois
The schools below may not offer all types of history degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.
10 Top Illinois Schools in History
Northwestern University is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in history. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.
There were approximately 86 history students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the history program at Northwestern University earn $16,943 above the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in history from Northwestern University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in history. UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.
There were roughly 118 history students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the history program report average early career income of $26,436.
More information about a degree in history from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Bachelors
Degree Type
BA in History
Program Name
Gain a rich foundation of knowledge ranging from early history to modern times with this online bachelor's degree in history from Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in BA in History from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
Loyola University Chicago is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in history. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #100 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.
There were about 77 history students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients typically earn around $31,079 in their early careers.
More information about a degree in history from Loyola University Chicago
Every student pursuing a degree in history needs to take a look at Illinois State University. Illinois State is a very large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal. A Best Colleges rank of #210 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.
There were approximately 123 history students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the history program at Illinois State University get $7,247 more than the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in history from Illinois State University
Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were roughly 29 history students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the history program make around $26,474 in the first couple years of their career.
More information about a degree in history from University of Illinois at Chicago
Located in the suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 20th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were about 53 history students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the history program state that they receive average early career earnings of $33,288.
More information about a degree in history from Northern Illinois University
DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #135 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.
There were about 31 history students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent year we have data available. History degree recipients from DePaul University receive an earnings boost of around $3,671 over the typical income of history majors.
More information about a degree in history from DePaul University
Masters
Degree Type
MA in History
Program Name
The online Master of Arts in History degree program can deepen your understanding of how history is made.
More information about a degree in MA in History from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
SIUE is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Edwardsville. This university ranks 31st out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were approximately 42 history students who graduated with this degree at SIUE in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the history program make about $26,916 for their early career.
More information about a degree in history from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Located in the town of Charleston, EIU is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 52nd out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were approximately 36 history students who graduated with this degree at EIU in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients usually make an average of $32,149 in their early careers.
More information about a degree in history from Eastern Illinois University
UIS is a small public university located in the medium-sized city of Springfield. This university ranks 78th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were about 21 history students who graduated with this degree at UIS in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, history degree recipients usually make around $33,297 in their early careers.
More information about a degree in history from University of Illinois at Springfield
