2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for History in Illinois
16
Ranked Colleges
114
Degrees Awarded
$37,344
Avg Salary

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois” ranking is part of that endeavor.
History is the 30th most popular major in the country with 31,443 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , history graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $30,453 and had an average of $22,435 in loans still to pay off.
Across Illinois, there were 1,007 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,707 and $20,850 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 114 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $59,827 and $47,424 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois” ranking, we looked at 16 colleges that offer a degree 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.
More Ways to Rank History Schools
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 “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 Illinois
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois master’s degree history students.
Top 16 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for History in Illinois
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Chicago State University. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois. Chicago State University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 masters’s history degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full CSU History Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Illinois University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois list. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 15 masters’s history degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on History at Eastern Illinois University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Springfield. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois. University of Illinois at Springfield is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 8 masters’s history degrees to qualified students.
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%.
Full UIS History Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northeastern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 6 masters’s history degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about History at Northeastern Illinois University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 1 masters’s history degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Full SIUE History Report
Roosevelt University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 degrees to qualified masters’s history students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about History at Roosevelt University
Northern Illinois University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6 masters’s history degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 Northern Illinois University
Loyola University Chicago came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 20 degrees to qualified masters’s history students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 more about History at Loyola Chicago
University of Chicago landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 11 masters’s history degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%. 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.
Read more about History at University of Chicago
Illinois State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #10. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Illinois State University History Report
Western Illinois University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 3 degrees to qualified masters’s history students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 WIU History Report
Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #12. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 26 masters’s history degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.
Read full report on History at SIUC
Northwestern University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 14 masters’s history degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%. 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.1% 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 Northwestern University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 5 masters’s history degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
DePaul University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on History Major in Illinois ranking. DePaul is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6 masters’s history degrees to qualified 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%.
Read full report on History at DePaul University