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2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region

217 Ranked Colleges
3,756 Degrees Awarded
$29,900 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 32,731 people earned their degree in history, making the major the 30th 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 the Great Lakes region, there were 3,756 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,228 and $24,399 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 217 colleges that offered a degree in history. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their history program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region history students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for History in the Great Lakes Region

1
Wabash crest
Wabash College
Crawfordsville, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wabash College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Crawfordsville, Indiana, and it awarded 18 ’s history degrees 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about History at Wabash

2
Hillsdale College crest
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hillsdale College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region. Hillsdale College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hillsdale, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about History at Hillsdale College

3
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Ripon College
Ripon, Wisconsin

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ripon College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Ripon, Wisconsin, and it awarded 13 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Ripon

4

Out of the 217 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, The College of Wooster landed the #4 spot on the list. The College of Wooster is a small school located in Wooster, Ohio that handed out 26 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Wooster College

5
Ashland crest
Ashland University
Ashland, Ohio

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ashland University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region. Ashland University is a small school located in Ashland, Ohio that handed out 75 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Ashland University History Report

6
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Blackburn College
Carlinville, Illinois

Blackburn College ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Carlinville, Illinois, and it awarded 5 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on History at Blackburn

7
Beloit crest
Beloit College
Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. Beloit, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Full Beloit History Report

8
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Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. Oberlin College is a small school located in Oberlin, Ohio that handed out 34 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 2.0% 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 Oberlin History Report

9
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Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin

Lawrence University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Lawrence University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Appleton, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on History at Lawrence U

10
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Northland College
Ashland, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #10, Northland College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Northland is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Ashland, Wisconsin. It awarded 6 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about History at Northland College

11
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Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, Knox College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Galesburg, Illinois, and it awarded 13 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about History at Knox College

12

Ohio State University - Marion Campus landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Marion, Ohio, this small public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Ohio State University - Marion Campus

13

Ohio Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. Delaware, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about History at OWU

14
St. Mary's College crest
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, Indiana

Saint Mary’s College ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on History at St. Mary’s College

15
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Wittenberg University
Springfield, Ohio

Wittenberg University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Wittenberg University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Springfield, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on History at Wittenberg

16
DePauw crest
DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana

DePauw University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. DePauw is a private not-for-profit institution located in Greencastle, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about History at DePauw

17
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Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio

Kenyon College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Gambier, Ohio, and it awarded 14 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%.

Full Kenyon College History Report

18
Hanover crest
Hanover College
Hanover, Indiana

Hanover College ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Hanover College is a small school located in Hanover, Indiana that handed out 9 ’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 Hanover

19
Albion crest
Albion College
Albion, Michigan

Albion College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Albion is a private not-for-profit institution located in Albion, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Albion College History Report

20
Finlandia crest
Finlandia University
Hancock, Michigan

Finlandia University ranked #20 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Hancock, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on History at Finlandia

21
Alma crest
Alma College
Alma, Michigan

Alma College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Alma, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Alma

22
Earlham crest
Earlham College
Richmond, Indiana

Earlham College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Earlham is located in Richmond, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on History at Earlham College

23
Defiance College crest
Defiance College
Defiance, Ohio

Defiance College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #23. Defiance College is located in Defiance, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

Read more about History at Defiance College

24

Franciscan University of Steubenville did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. Steubenville, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Franciscan U

25
Holy Cross College crest
Holy Cross College
Notre Dame, Indiana

Holy Cross College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on History at Holy Cross College

Rest of the Best 33 in Schools Highly Focused on History Major in the Great Lakes Region

Not only did these schools make the top 33 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Denison crest
Denison University
Granville, Ohio
28
Monmouth crest
Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois
29
Wilmington College crest
Wilmington College
Wilmington, Ohio
30
Illinois College crest
Illinois College
Jacksonville, Illinois
31
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois
32
Illinois Wesleyan crest
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, Illinois
33
Carthage crest
Carthage College
Kenosha, Wisconsin

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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