2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region
217
Ranked Colleges
3,756
Degrees Awarded
$31,700
Avg Cost*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,756 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,228 and $24,399 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 217 colleges that offered a degree in history. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular history programs in the United States.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region history students.
Top 27 Most Popular Colleges for History in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 160 ’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%. 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 full report on History at U-M
Out of the 217 schools in the Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 155 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about History at Ohio State University - Main Campus
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 154 ’s history degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%.
Full UW - Madison History Report
Out of the 217 schools in the Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #4 spot on the list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 117 ’s history degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 94%.
Read more about History at UIUC
Out of the 217 schools in the Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 107 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
Full Illinois State University History Report
With a ranking of #6, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 103 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.
Full UChicago History Report
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 83 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on History at Indiana University - Bloomington
Northwestern University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 82 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about History at Northwestern
Ashland University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ashland University is located in Ashland, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 75 ’s history degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about History at Ashland
With a ranking of #10, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UWM is a large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 71 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on History at UWM
Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Athens, Ohio, and it awarded 67 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Ohio University - Athens Campus History Report
Ball State University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Ball State is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 53 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about History at Ball State University
With a ranking of #13, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 ’s history degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Full UC History Report
Oakland University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 51 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on History at Oakland
Northern Illinois University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 51 students in 2020-2021.
Read more about History at Northern Illinois University
University of Notre Dame ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 48 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Notre Dame History Report
Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Purdue University - Main Campus History Report
Michigan State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 47 ’s history degrees 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 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 Michigan State University
University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.
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 more about History at UIC
Kent State University at Kent landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Kent, Ohio, and it awarded 46 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Kent State University at Kent History Report
Loyola University Chicago ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 44 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about History at Loyola Chicago
Miami University - Oxford did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #21. Oxford, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 44 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on History at Miami University - Oxford
With a ranking of #23, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about History at UW - Whitewater
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. IUPUI is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 41 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 IUPUI History Report
Eastern Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. Eastern Michigan is a public institution located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about History at Eastern Michigan University
Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 39 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Central Michigan University History Report
With a ranking of #25, Marquette University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Marquette University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Marquette University History Report
Rest of the Best 31 in Most Well Attended History Major in the Great Lakes Region
Not only did these schools make the top 31 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a More Focused Major
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
college factual
