2025 Best History Schools in California
34
Colleges in California
5,237
History Degrees Awarded
$33,218
Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in
history, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #30 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.
College Factual reviewed 34 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of history. Combined, these schools handed out 5,237 degrees in history to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great History School
Your choice of history school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall History School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
History Rankings by Degree Level
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best History Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
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.
Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
Best Schools for History in California
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the history degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top California Schools in History
University of California - Santa Barbara is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in history. UCSB is a fairly large public university located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara. A Best Colleges rank of #47 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.
There were approximately 164 history students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year. After graduating, history degree recipients typically make about $29,749 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in history from University of California - Santa Barbara
University of California - Los Angeles is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in history. UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.
There were about 265 history students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the history program make around $28,116 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in history from University of California - Los Angeles
Bachelors
Degree Type
BA in History
Program Name
Gain a rich foundation of knowledge ranging from early history to modern times with this online bachelor's degree in history from Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in BA in History from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
Any student who is interested in history needs to check out University of Southern California. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were about 97 history students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. History degree recipients from University of Southern California get an earnings boost of around $3,658 over the typical earnings of history graduates.
More information about a degree in history from University of Southern California
University of California - Berkeley is a great option for students pursuing a degree in history. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were roughly 157 history students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the history program state that they receive average early career earnings of $28,849.
More information about a degree in history from University of California - Berkeley
UC Davis is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Davis. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.
There were roughly 129 history students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the history program state that they receive average early career income of $31,895.
More information about a degree in history from University of California - Davis
UCR is a very large public university located in the large city of Riverside. A Best Colleges rank of #219 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCR is a great university overall.
There were approximately 128 history students who graduated with this degree at UCR in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the history program earn an average of $29,824 for their early career.
More information about a degree in history from University of California - Riverside
Located in the small city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #91 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Santa Cruz is a great university overall.
There were roughly 95 history students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the history program report average early career wages of $33,081.
More information about a degree in history from University of California - Santa Cruz
Masters
Degree Type
MA in History
Program Name
The online Master of Arts in History degree program can deepen your understanding of how history is made.
More information about a degree in MA in History from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
Located in the city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.
There were approximately 93 history students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the history program make about $21,713 for their early career.
More information about a degree in history from University of California - San Diego
Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #73 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.
There were approximately 87 history students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the history program report average early career earnings of $23,480.
More information about a degree in history from University of California - Irvine
Sac State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Sacramento. This university ranks 40th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 122 history students who graduated with this degree at Sac State in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the history program make about $32,824 for their early career.
More information about a degree in history from California State University - Sacramento
