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2024 Best History Schools in Pennsylvania

17 Colleges in Pennsylvania
1,242 History Degrees Awarded
$29,611 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.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 17 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best History Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,242 degrees in history to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great History School

Best History Schools in Pennsylvania Your choice of history school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. 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.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

History Rankings by 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 Pennsylvania. 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 Pennsylvania

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 Pennsylvania Schools in History

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
71 History Degrees Awarded
$50,380 Median Starting Salary

University of Pennsylvania is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in history. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were about 71 history students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available. Those history students who get their degree from University of Pennsylvania receive $20,769 more than the typical history graduate.

More information about a degree in history from University of Pennsylvania

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
98 History Degrees Awarded
$27,234 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus if you wish to pursue a degree in history. Pitt is a very large public university located in the large city of Pittsburgh. A Best Colleges rank of #79 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Pitt is a great university overall.

There were about 98 history students who graduated with this degree at Pitt in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the history program make around $27,234 in the first couple years of their career.

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

3
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
34 History Degrees Awarded
$27,420 Median Starting Salary

Villanova University is a great option for students interested in a degree in history. Villanova is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Villanova. A Best Colleges rank of #70 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Villanova is a great university overall.

There were roughly 34 history students who graduated with this degree at Villanova in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the history program earn an average of $27,420 for their early career.

More information about a degree in history from Villanova University

4
Gettysburg crest
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
45 History Degrees Awarded
24.4% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in history needs to look into Gettysburg College. Located in the city of Gettysburg, Gettysburg is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #276 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Gettysburg is a great college overall.

There were approximately 45 history students who graduated with this degree at Gettysburg 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 $28,505.

More information about a degree in history from Gettysburg College

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
45 History Degrees Awarded
2.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of West Chester, WCUPA is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #241 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WCUPA is a great university overall.

There were approximately 45 history students who graduated with this degree at WCUPA in the most recent year we have data available. History degree recipients from West Chester University of Pennsylvania receive an earnings boost of about $2,404 above the average earnings of history graduates.

More information about a degree in history from West Chester University of Pennsylvania

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
66 History Degrees Awarded
25.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Slippery Rock, SRU is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 30th out of 109 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were about 66 history students who graduated with this degree at SRU in the most recent year we have data available. Those history students who get their degree from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania make $7,048 more than the standard history grad.

More information about a degree in history from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

7
Duquesne crest
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
39 History Degrees Awarded
7.7% Growth in Graduates

Duquesne is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Pittsburgh. A Best Colleges rank of #228 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Duquesne is a great university overall.

There were approximately 39 history students who graduated with this degree at Duquesne in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the history program make an average of $27,166 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in history from Duquesne University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
39 History Degrees Awarded
$29,109 Median Starting Salary

Located in the fringe town of Shippensburg, Ship is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 39th out of 109 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were approximately 39 history students who graduated with this degree at Ship 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 $29,109.

More information about a degree in history from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$32,912 Median Starting Salary
$26,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Scranton, University of Scranton is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #269 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means University of Scranton is a great university overall.

There were about 16 history students who graduated with this degree at University of Scranton in the most recent year we have data available. Those history students who get their degree from University of Scranton earn $3,301 more than the typical history grad.

More information about a degree in history from University of Scranton

10
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
56 History Degrees Awarded
$30,832 Median Starting Salary

Temple is a fairly large public university located in the city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #147 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Temple is a great university overall.

There were approximately 56 history students who graduated with this degree at Temple 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 earnings of $30,832.

More information about a degree in history from Temple University

Best History Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
New York 333 2,656
Maryland 279 617
New Jersey 273 735
District of Columbia 188 258
Delaware 175 68

View All Rankings >

History is one of 0 different types of History programs to choose from.

History Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General History 1,173
History and Philosophy of Science and Technology 37
Public/Applied History 16
Other History 16

View All History Concentrations >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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