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2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for History in California

32 Ranked Colleges
243 Degrees Awarded
$32,613 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on History Major in California

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California” ranking.

History is the 30th most popular major in the country with 32,731 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 California, there were 5,392 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,322 and $18,158 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 243 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $62,974 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California” ranking looked at 32 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in history. That schools that top this list have a program in history in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank History Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California

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

Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for History in California

1
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 #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California list. Claremont Graduate University is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 7 masters’s history degrees 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.

Read more about History at Claremont Graduate University

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 masters’s degrees 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 full report on History at Cal State LA

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Sacramento. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s history degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at California State University - Sacramento

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at California State University - Fullerton

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - East Bay. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California. Hayward, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s history degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Full California State University - East Bay History Report

6

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on History at University of California - Santa Cruz

7
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

With a ranking of #7, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California list. Rohnert Park, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s history degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at SSU

8

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California ranking, coming in at #8. California State University - Stanislaus is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

Read more about History at Stan State

9
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 8 masters’s history degrees 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 0.5%, 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 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about History at Stanford

10
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California ranking. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 16 masters’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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full SDSU History Report

11

California State University - Northridge landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California ranking. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified masters’s history students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Full California State University - Northridge History Report

12
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California ranking. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 11 masters’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 San Francisco State University History Report

13

California State University - Fresno ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified masters’s history students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fresno History Report

14

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 3 masters’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about History at CSUB

15
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s history degrees to 10 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 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full San Jose State History Report

16

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California ranking. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school awarded 6 degrees to qualified masters’s history students 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

17

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California ranking, coming in at #17. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 5 degrees to qualified masters’s history students in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo History Report

18

University of California - Irvine came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified masters’s history students in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Irvine History Report

19

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified masters’s history students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Los Angeles History Report

20
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California ranking. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 91%. 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.

Read full report on History at USC

21

California State University - San Marcos landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 2 masters’s history degrees 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%.

Read full report on History at California State University - San Marcos

22

California State University - Chico landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California ranking. California State University - Chico is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 2 masters’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%.

Read more about History at California State University - Chico

23

With a ranking of #23, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California list. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 3 masters’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about History at University of California - Riverside

24

University of California - San Diego ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 4 masters’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full UCSD History Report

25

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in California ranking, coming in at #25. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 masters’s history degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full University of California - Berkeley History Report

Notes and References

References

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