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2024 Best History Schools in Illinois

11 Colleges in Illinois
1,007 History Degrees Awarded
$32,707 Avg Early-Career Salary
History degree programs are on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of popularity. In fact, the major ranks #23 out of the 38 majors we look at each year. As such, your educational options may be more limited than if you were in a more popular field.

College Factual looked at 11 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best History Schools in Illinois ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,007 degrees in history during the 2021-2022 academic year.

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

Choosing a Great History School

Best History Schools in Illinois 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 Illinois. 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
110 History Degrees Awarded
6.4% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat University of Chicago if you wish to pursue a degree in history. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were about 110 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 about $7,639 over the typical income of history majors.

More information about a degree in history from University of Chicago

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
86 History Degrees Awarded
4.7% Growth in Graduates

Northwestern University is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in history. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 86 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 average history graduate.

More information about a degree in history from Northwestern University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
118 History Degrees Awarded
0.8% Growth in Graduates

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a great option for students interested in a degree in history. UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 118 history students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. History degree recipients from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign receive an earnings boost of approximately $6,775 above the average earnings of history majors.

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

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
123 History Degrees Awarded
13.0% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in history has to take a look at Illinois State University. Illinois State is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Normal. A Best Colleges rank of #231 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.

There were about 123 history students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent data year. Those history students who get their degree from Illinois State University receive $4,215 more than the standard history graduate.

More information about a degree in history from Illinois State University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$24,997 Median Starting Salary
$19,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the large city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #192 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 29 history students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the history program earn about $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
42 History Degrees Awarded
28.6% Growth in Graduates

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

There were roughly 42 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

SIUC is a large public university located in the small city of Carbondale. This university ranks 23rd out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 26 history students who graduated with this degree at SIUC in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the history program make an average of $27,826 in their early career salary.

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

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 History Degrees Awarded
3.8% Growth in Graduates

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

There were approximately 53 history students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, history degree recipients typically make an average of $32,454 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in history from Northern Illinois University

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 History Degrees Awarded
$29,281 Median Starting Salary

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

There were roughly 31 history students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients generally make an average of $29,281 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in history from DePaul University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
32 History Degrees Awarded
6.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 50th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 32 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 Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Indiana38533
Michigan38613
Ohio38975
Wisconsin37559

View All Rankings >

History Majors to Study

MajorAnnual Graduates
History1,007

View All History Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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