by our College Data Analytics TeamAre you fascinated by old buildings? Do you enjoy spending free time touring old properties and houses? A Historic Preservation degree will allow you learn how to protect and restore these beautiful historic buildings and areas.
Major in Historic Preservation in order to learn the practical and theoretical aspects that allow workers to preserve historical sites. This major involves more than simply history and art appreciation. Students will learn economics, real estate development, preservation planning and the laws that surround it. You will have the opportunity to visit structures and research them in order to collect and analyze information.
Some of the classes you will take in a Historic Preservation major include: preservation planning and law, American architecture, historic preservation law, architectural conservation, perspectives on preservation, design, real estate, public relations and policy.
You may have the opportunity to choose a concentration. Several worth mentioning are Historic Preservation and Conservation, and Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis.
In 2021-2022, historic preservation was the 296th most popular major nationwide with 380 degrees awarded. Our 2025 Best Historic Preservation Schools ranking analyzes 7 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for historic preservation students. Explore this or one of our many other custom historic preservation rankings further below.
A passion for history and architecture will lead you to success in this field. Art and architecture require an eye for detail. Research skills will be necessary as you dive into historical data and learn about the culture. Working with people should be natural to you as you help build historical appreciation in your local community.
Critical thinking, writing and research skills are necessary to complete your projects and write reports and papers. You will need to collect data and analyze how buildings reflect on the time period. Memorization will also be helpful as you learn about different places, names, and designs. Strong math and organization skills will lead you to success in both architecture and economics.
You may have the opportunity to study abroad. This will give you the chance to see historical areas and structures of a particular culture. Take advantage of any internship or work opportunities in a historic center, architecture firm or museum.
historic preservation degree applicants generally need have finished high school or their GED. Many schools may also have GPA and SAT/ACT score minimums that must be met. Specific historic preservation careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.
There are various different levels of historic preservation degrees. You can get anything from a in historic preservation to the highest historic preservation degree, a . Depending on the historic preservation degree you choose, obtaining your diploma can take anwhere from 1 to 4+ years.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A master's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to historic preservation, with approximately 52.3% of workers getting one. Find out other typical degree levels for historic preservation workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 60.5% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 15.6% |
| Some College Courses | 6.4% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 5.4% |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | 3.4% |
55.7% of historic preservation workers have at least a master's. View the chart below to get an idea of what degree level most of those in historic preservation careers have.
This of course varies depending on which historic preservation career you choose.
A Historic Preservation Degree will allow you take many different career paths. You could become a curator, a historian, a preservation researcher or a conservationist. You could also work for a museum as an exhibition designer or a technician. Grads also find work as historic interior designers, site managers, or building consultants. Working for communities and private organizations to restore and maintain historical sites could be another career path for you.
Want a job when you graduate with your historic preservation degree? Historic Preservation careers are expected to grow 11.9% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to historic preservation.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Archivists | 7,800 | 14.7% |
| Historians | 3,500 | 6.1% |
Historic Preservation graduates between <nil> reported earning an average of $43,857 in the <nil> timeframe. Earnings can range from as low as $35,326 to as high as $53,920. As you might expect, salaries for historic preservation graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for historic preservation graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers historic preservation grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Historians | $66,380 |
| Archivists | $56,400 |
With over 120 different historic preservation degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased historic preservation school rankings to help you with this.
One of 51 majors within the Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies area of study, Historic Preservation has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Historic Preservation & Conservation | 291 |
| Cultural Resource Management & Policy Analysis | 66 |
| Other Historic Preservation & Conservation | 23 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies | 31,307 |
| Biological & Physical Science | 30,032 |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | 9,114 |
| International Studies | 6,614 |
| Nutrition Science | 5,598 |
