College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best History Schools in Illinois

13 Colleges in Illinois
974 History Degrees Awarded
$32,707 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #30 in popularity, history is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for history students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 974 degrees in history during the 2020-2021 academic year.

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

Choosing a Great History School

Best History Schools in Illinois 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. 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.

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

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best History Schools in Illinois ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. 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

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
103 History Degrees Awarded
4.9% Growth in Graduates

University of Chicago is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in history. Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were approximately 103 history students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available. History degree recipients from University of Chicago get an earnings boost of around $7,639 over the average income of history graduates.

More information about a degree in history from University of Chicago

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
82 History Degrees Awarded
30.5% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in history needs to take a look at Northwestern University. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 82 history students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Those history students who get their degree from Northwestern University make $6,284 more than the standard history graduate.

More information about a degree in history from Northwestern University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
117 History Degrees Awarded
10.3% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in history needs to look into University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 117 history students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. History degree recipients from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign get an earnings boost of approximately $6,775 above the average income of history majors.

More information about a degree in history from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
107 History Degrees Awarded
$36,922 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat Illinois State University if you want to pursue a degree in history. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #231 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 107 history students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available. Those history students who get their degree from Illinois State University earn $4,215 more than the typical history graduate.

More information about a degree in history from Illinois State University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
47 History Degrees Awarded
23.4% Growth in Graduates

UIC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #192 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 47 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 an average of $24,997 for their early career.

More information about a degree in history from University of Illinois at Chicago

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$32,201 Median Starting Salary
$22,750 Median Student Debt

Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 31st out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 30 history students who graduated with this degree at SIUE 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 wages of $32,201.

More information about a degree in history from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$27,826 Median Starting Salary
$22,500 Median Student Debt

Located in the small city of Carbondale, SIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 23rd out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 22 history students who graduated with this degree at SIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the history program earn around $27,826 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in history from Southern Illinois University Carbondale

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 History Degrees Awarded
7.8% Growth in Graduates

NIU is a large public university located in the small suburb of Dekalb. This university ranks 24th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 51 history students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, history degree recipients typically earn around $32,454 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in history from Northern Illinois University

9
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
36 History Degrees Awarded
30.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #203 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.

There were roughly 36 history students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, history degree recipients usually make around $29,281 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in history from DePaul University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$30,685 Median Starting Salary
$16,991 Median Student Debt

Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public university located in the city of Chicago. This university ranks 50th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 30 history students who graduated with this degree at Northeastern Illinois University in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the history program report average early career wages of $30,685.

More information about a degree in history from Northeastern Illinois University

Best History Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best History Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 613
Ohio 314 975
Indiana 294 533
Wisconsin 273 559

View All Rankings >

One of 0 majors within the History area of study, History has other similar majors worth exploring.

History Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General History 960
Public/Applied History 9
History and Philosophy of Science and Technology 5

View All History Focus Areas >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options