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2023 Most Popular Colleges for History in Illinois

45 Ranked Colleges
974 Degrees Awarded
$29,600 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois

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 “Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Illinois, there were 974 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,707 and $22,415 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois” ranking, we looked at 45 colleges that offer 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.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 “Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois”.

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 117 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. 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 Illinois at Urbana-Champaign History Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois list. Illinois State University is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 107 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

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 more about History at Illinois State

3
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 103 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 University of Chicago History Report

4
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois list. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 82 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

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. 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 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Northwestern University

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 51 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

Full NIU History Report

6

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 47 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Read more about History at University of Illinois at Chicago

7
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #7. 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Loyola Chicago

8
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #8. DePaul University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 36 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full DePaul University History Report

9
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #9. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 32 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about History at Eastern Illinois University

10

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois ranking. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.

Full SIUE History Report

10

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

Read more about History at Northeastern Illinois University

12

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois ranking. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at University of Illinois at Springfield

13

Western Illinois University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois list. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on History at Western Illinois University

14

With a ranking of #14, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

Read more about History at SIUC

15
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois list. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 20 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Wheaton College Illinois History Report

16
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

With a ranking of #16, Aurora University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois list. Located in Aurora, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 16 degrees to qualified ’s history students 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 full report on History at Aurora University

17
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois list. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 15 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national 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 more about History at Augustana

18
Knox crest
Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois ranking. Knox is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 13 ’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%. 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.

Read full report on History at Knox

19
Lewis crest
Lewis University
Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois list. Lewis University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Romeoville, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Lewis University

20
Roosevelt crest
Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #20, Roosevelt University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s history degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on History at Roosevelt

21
Bradley crest
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois list. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 10 ’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 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Bradley University

22
Illinois Wesleyan crest
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois list. Illinois Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bloomington, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Illinois Wesleyan University

22
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois ranking. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified ’s history students 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 more about History at North Central College

22
University of Saint Francis crest
University of St Francis
Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois list. University of St Francis is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Joliet, Illinois. It awarded 9 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at University of Saint Francis

22
Concordia University, Chicago crest
Concordia University, Chicago
River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended History Major in Illinois list. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 9 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Concordia University, Chicago

Notes and References

References

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