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2025 Best History Schools in the Plains States Region

22 Colleges in the Plains States Region
1,661 History Degrees Awarded
$33,218 Avg Early-Career Salary
You'll be studying one of the lesser sought-after majors if you pursue a degree in history. It is ranked #23 out of 38 major degree programs in terms of popularity. This may make is a little harder to find a school that is a good fit for you.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 22 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best History Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,661 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 the Plains States Region 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. For our Best Overall History School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that 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

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

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 the Plains States Region. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for History in the Plains States Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the history degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools in History

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
108 History Degrees Awarded
$26,635 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in history needs to check out University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were roughly 108 history students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients usually earn an average of $26,635 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in history from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 History Degrees Awarded
$41,294 Median Starting Salary

Iowa State University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in history. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #88 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Iowa State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 54 history students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent data year. History degree recipients from Iowa State University receive an earnings boost of approximately $8,076 over the typical income of history majors.

More information about a degree in history from Iowa State University

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
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
73 History Degrees Awarded
$33,117 Median Starting Salary

University of Iowa is a great option for students interested in a degree in history. Iowa is a very large public university located in the city of Iowa City. A Best Colleges rank of #80 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.

There were about 73 history students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients generally make around $33,117 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in history from University of Iowa

4
Grinnell crest
Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In IA

It's difficult to beat Grinnell College if you want to pursue a degree in history. Located in the town of Grinnell, Grinnell is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #318 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Grinnell is a great college overall.

There were about 22 history students who graduated with this degree at Grinnell in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in history from Grinnell College

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In ND

North Dakota State University is a large public university located in the medium-sized city of Fargo. A Best Colleges rank of #382 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means North Dakota State University is a great university overall.

There were about 13 history students who graduated with this degree at North Dakota State University in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in history from North Dakota State University - Main Campus

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 History Degrees Awarded
$33,013 Median Starting Salary

UNL is a fairly large public university located in the city of Lincoln. A Best Colleges rank of #207 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UNL is a great university overall.

There were roughly 43 history students who graduated with this degree at UNL in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the history program earn around $33,013 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in history from University of Nebraska - Lincoln

7
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 History Degrees Awarded
$42,451 Median Starting Salary

KU is a very large public university located in the city of Lawrence. A Best Colleges rank of #192 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means KU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 44 history students who graduated with this degree at KU in the most recent year we have data available. History degree recipients from University of Kansas receive an earnings boost of around $9,233 over the average earnings of history majors.

More information about a degree in history from University of Kansas

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

K -State is a large public university located in the small city of Manhattan. A Best Colleges rank of #269 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means K -State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 29 history students who graduated with this degree at K -State in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the history program earn around $33,744 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in history from Kansas State University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
65 History Degrees Awarded
30.8% Growth in Graduates

Mizzou is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Columbia. A Best Colleges rank of #131 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Mizzou is a great university overall.

There were approximately 65 history students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the history program make an average of $26,996 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in history from University of Missouri - Columbia

10
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In MN

St. Olaf is a small private not-for-profit college located in the distant town of Northfield. A Best Colleges rank of #301 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means St. Olaf is a great college overall.

There were about 25 history students who graduated with this degree at St. Olaf in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in history from St Olaf College

Best History Colleges by State

Explore the best history schools for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Kansas 38 219
Minnesota 38 393
Iowa 38 336
South Dakota 38 70
Missouri 38 487
Nebraska 36 224
North Dakota 35 49

View All Rankings >

History Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
History 1,661

View All History Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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