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2025 Best History Schools in Virginia

14 Colleges in Virginia
1,463 History Degrees Awarded
$33,218 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you're seeking a degree in history, you will have fewer peers than average since the major degree program is the #23 one in the country in terms of popularity.While this may limit the number of schools that offer the degree program, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 14 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best History Schools in Virginia ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,463 degrees in history to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great History School

Best History Schools in Virginia The history program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for History rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for history schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your History Degree Level

Associate Degrees in History
Bachelor's Degrees in History
Master's Degrees in History
Doctor's Degrees in History

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best History Schools in Virginia ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for History in Virginia

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the history degree levels they offer.

10 Top Virginia Schools in History

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
163 History Degrees Awarded
2.5% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat University of Virginia - Main Campus if you want to pursue a degree in history. Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #35 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 163 history students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia 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 income of $34,028.

More information about a degree in history from University of Virginia - Main Campus

2
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
113 History Degrees Awarded
$31,595 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in history has to look into William & Mary. Located in the suburb of Williamsburg, William & Mary is a public school with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #103 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were roughly 113 history students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the history program make an average of $31,595 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in history from William & Mary

Sponsored
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 University

Related Programs

3
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
69 History Degrees Awarded
$29,000 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in history has to take a look at James Madison University. JMU is a fairly large public university located in the city of Harrisonburg. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 69 history students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the history program report average early career income of $29,000.

More information about a degree in history from James Madison University

4
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
63 History Degrees Awarded
$33,319 Median Starting Salary

Virginia Tech is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in history. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #58 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were roughly 63 history students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the history program state that they receive average early career wages of $33,319.

More information about a degree in history from Virginia Tech

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
113 History Degrees Awarded
$34,510 Median Starting Salary

GMU is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Fairfax. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 113 history students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the history program state that they receive average early career income of $34,510.

More information about a degree in history from George Mason University

6
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
447 History Degrees Awarded
18.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #265 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Liberty University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 447 history students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent data year. Those history students who get their degree from Liberty University make $3,611 more than the average history graduate.

More information about a degree in history from Liberty University

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
34 History Degrees Awarded
2.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Lexington, VMI is a public school with a small student population. This school ranks 23rd out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 34 history students who graduated with this degree at VMI in the most recent data year. Those history students who get their degree from Virginia Military Institute make $9,325 more than the standard history student.

More information about a degree in history from Virginia Military Institute

Sponsored
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 University

Related Programs

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 History Degrees Awarded
$29,794 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Richmond, VCU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #189 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means VCU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 53 history students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients generally earn about $29,794 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in history from Virginia Commonwealth University

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
48 History Degrees Awarded
$29,386 Median Starting Salary

CNU is a small public university located in the midsize city of Newport News. This university ranks 15th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 48 history students who graduated with this degree at CNU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, history degree recipients typically make an average of $29,386 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in history from Christopher Newport University

10
Hampden - Sydney crest
Hampden - Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney, VA

Located in the rural area of Hampden-Sydney, Hampden - Sydney is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population. This college ranks 24th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 28 history students who graduated with this degree at Hampden - Sydney in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the history degree program at Hampden - Sydney College make $9,731 above the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in history from Hampden - Sydney College

Best History Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best History Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 38 1,060
West Virginia 38 491
Mississippi 38 231
South Carolina 38 423
Florida 38 886
Arkansas 38 246
Alabama 37 500
Kentucky 37 364
Georgia 37 678
Tennessee 37 552
Louisiana 37 426

View All Rankings >

History Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
History 1,463

View All History Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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