2024 Best History Master's Degree Schools
Historymaster's programs are on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of popularity. In fact, the major degree program ranks #24 out of the 37 majors we look at each year. This may make is a little harder to find a school that is a good fit for you.
In 2024, College Factual analyzed 232 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best History Master's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 3,509 master's degrees in history to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great History School for Your Master's Degree
The history master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A Great Overall School
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Early-Career Earnings
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
Other Factors We Consider
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
- Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to history students as compared to other majors.
- Major Demand - The number of history students who choose to seek a master's degree at the school.
- Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
- Student Debt - How much debt history students go into to obtain their master's degree and how well they are able to pay back that debt.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized history related body.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for history students working on their master's degree.
More Ways to Rank History Schools
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 Best History Master's Degree Schools list to help you make the college decision.
Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study History in the United States
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in history. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
25 Top Schools for a Master's in History
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
42
Annual Graduates
It's hard to beat Harvard University if you want to pursue a master's degree in history. Located in the midsize city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in history from Harvard University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
55
Annual Graduates
Any student who is interested in a master's degree in history has to check out Yale University. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of New Haven.More information about a master’s in history from Yale University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
14
Annual Graduates
Princeton University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in history. Located in the city of Princeton, Princeton is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a master’s in history from Princeton University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
7
Annual Graduates
University of Pennsylvania is a good option for students interested in a master's degree in history. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia.More information about a master’s in history from University of Pennsylvania
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
13
Annual Graduates
UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago.More information about a master’s in history from University of Chicago