2025 Best History Schools in Illinois
12
Colleges in Illinois
1,007
History Degrees Awarded
$33,218
Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #30 in popularity,
history is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.
For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for history students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,007 degrees in history annually.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great History School
The history program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for History rankings. We derive our Best Overall History School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Pick Your History Degree Level
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best History Schools in Illinois ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you.
When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.
Best Schools for History in Illinois
The schools below may not offer all types of history degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.
10 Top Illinois Schools in History
Any student who is interested in history needs to look into Northwestern University. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.
There were about 86 history students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the history program at Northwestern University earn $16,943 more than the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in history from Northwestern University
Every student pursuing a degree in history needs to look into University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.
There were about 118 history students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the history program state that they receive average early career wages of $26,436.
More information about a degree in history from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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 pursuing a degree in history has to check out Loyola University Chicago. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #100 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.
There were roughly 77 history students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, history degree recipients usually make around $31,079 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in history from Loyola University Chicago
It is difficult to beat Illinois State University if you wish to pursue a degree in history. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #210 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.
There were approximately 123 history students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the history major at Illinois State University get $7,247 more than the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in history from Illinois State University
UIC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #254 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.
There were approximately 29 history students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the history program make around $26,474 in the first couple years of working.
More information about a degree in history from University of Illinois at Chicago
NIU is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Dekalb. This university ranks 20th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were about 53 history students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the history program report average early career earnings of $33,288.
More information about a degree in history from Northern Illinois University
Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #135 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.
There were about 31 history students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent year we have data available. History degree recipients from DePaul University earn a boost of approximately $3,671 above the typical earnings of history graduates.
More information about a degree in history from DePaul University
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 large suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 31st out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were about 42 history students who graduated with this degree at SIUE in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the history program make around $26,916 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in history from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
SIUC is a large public university located in the town of Carbondale. This university ranks 36th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were roughly 26 history students who graduated with this degree at SIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the history program earn about $30,101 for their early career.
More information about a degree in history from Southern Illinois University Carbondale
EIU is a moderately-sized public university located in the remote town of Charleston. This university ranks 52nd out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were about 36 history students who graduated with this degree at EIU in the most recent data year. After graduation, history degree recipients usually earn around $32,149 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in history from Eastern Illinois University
