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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for History

156 Ranked Colleges
721 Degrees Awarded
$54,296 Avg Salary
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 721 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major” ranking looked at 156 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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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 for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree history students.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for History

1

Out of the 156 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Center for Advanced Studies On Puerto Rico and the Caribbean landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in San Juan, , this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s history students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y El Caribe

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Metro. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major. Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Metro is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in San Juan, . It awarded 7 doctorate’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.

Read full report on History at Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Metro

3
Claremont Graduate University crest
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Claremont Graduate University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s history students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Claremont Graduate University History Report

4
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Out of the 156 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Princeton University landed the #4 spot on the list. Princeton University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about History at Princeton University

5
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 156 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #5 spot on the list. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 doctorate’s history degrees to qualified students.

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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on History at Stanford

6
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 10 degrees to qualified doctorate’s history students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Yale History Report

7
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

With a ranking of #7, Georgetown University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. Georgetown is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Georgetown History Report

8
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking, coming in at #8. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s history degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Harvard University History Report

9
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking. Brown University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 5 doctorate’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about History at Brown

10
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking, coming in at #10. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 11 doctorate’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on History at UChicago

11
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

With a ranking of #11, Duke University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about History at Duke

12
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about History at Vanderbilt

13
Binghamton University crest
Binghamton University
Vestal, New York

Binghamton University ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. Binghamton University is a fairly large school located in Vestal, New York that handed out 8 doctorate’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Binghamton University History Report

14

University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. Located in San Juan, , this fairly large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s history students in 2020-2021.

Read more about History at UPR Rio Piedras

15

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 18 doctorate’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Columbia History Report

16

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking, coming in at #16. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s history degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 more about History at University of California - Santa Barbara

17
Middle Tennessee State University crest
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee

With a ranking of #17, Middle Tennessee State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. Middle Tennessee State University is a public institution located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on History at Middle Tennessee State University

18
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Rice

19

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking. Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this large public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified doctorate’s history students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Louisiana State University

20
UMaine crest
University of Maine
Orono, Maine

University of Maine landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking. UMaine is a fairly large public school situated in Orono, Maine. It awarded 3 doctorate’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 University of Maine History Report

21
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified doctorate’s history students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 University of Notre Dame

22
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. Rutgers New Brunswick is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 doctorate’s history degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Rutgers University - New Brunswick

23
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #23, University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 11 degrees to qualified doctorate’s history students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about History at UPenn

24

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking, coming in at #24. Pitt is a large public school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 11 doctorate’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Pitt

25
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on History Major ranking. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s history degrees to 13 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on History at Indiana University - Bloomington

Notes and References

References

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Footnotes

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