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2023 Best Value Colleges for History (Income $30-$48k)

374 Ranked Colleges
32,731 Degrees Awarded
$4,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

History is the 23rd 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.

This year’s “Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 374 colleges that offered a degree in history. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent history programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the history program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for 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. 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.

Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for history students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for History (Income $30-$48k)

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Durham, North Carolina, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 61 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

Duke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best History Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Duke is $-927 for History students whose families make $30-$48k. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, 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 97%.

Read more about History at Duke

2
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 374 schools in the Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 178 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

Harvard also took the #2 spot in our “Best History Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $1,396 for history students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, 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 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Harvard University History Report

3
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and it awarded 165 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Yale not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best History Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Yale is $3,083 for history students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on History at Yale

4
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Princeton University is a medium-sized school located in Princeton, New Jersey that handed out 76 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Princeton also took the #3 spot in our “Best History Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,502 for History students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Princeton.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on History at Princeton University

5
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 374 schools in the Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 103 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our history students whose families make $30-$48k list, UChicago has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best History Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,777 for history students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UChicago.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read full report on History at University of Chicago

6
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UPenn is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

UPenn also made our “Best History Schools” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $1,938 for history students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UPenn History Report

7

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbia is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 218 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best History Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $4,699 for History students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about History at Columbia University in the City of New York

8
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

With a ranking of #8, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 82 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern also took the #12 spot in our “Best History Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $917 for History students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 full report on History at Northwestern

9
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Williams is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It awarded 33 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Williams, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best History Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,480 for History students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Williams College.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Williams College History Report

10
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 73 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also took the #9 spot in our “Best History Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt is $4,652 for History students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Vanderbilt History Report

11
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Brown University is a fairly large school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 91 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Brown also made our “Best History Schools” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Brown is $2,842 for history students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.

Read full report on History at Brown University

12
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

Dartmouth College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Hanover, New Hampshire, and it awarded 59 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

Dartmouth also made our “Best History Schools” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $8,718 for history students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Dartmouth College.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about History at Dartmouth

13

With a ranking of #13, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 160 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best History Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,670 for history students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about History at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

14
Amherst crest
Amherst College
Amherst, Massachusetts

Amherst College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 25 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Amherst also did well on our “Best History Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Amherst College is $4,459 for History students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Amherst College History Report

15
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Medford, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 43 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

Tufts also made our “Best History Schools” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Tufts is $7,987 for History students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Tufts History Report

16
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 110 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our “Best History Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $2,857 for History students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UF.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 97%.

Read full report on History at University of Florida

17
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Georgetown University is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 76 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our history students whose families make $30-$48k list, Georgetown has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best History Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,871 for History students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Georgetown.

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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about History at Georgetown University

18
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, and it awarded 130 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, William & Mary also did well on our “Best History Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best History Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $7,507 for History students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.

Full William & Mary History Report

19

With a ranking of #19, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 154 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison excels when it comes to history quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best History Schools” list. It costs about $4,788 for history students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on History at UW - Madison

20
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

With a ranking of #20, Cornell University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cornell is located in Ithaca, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 57 ’s history degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our history students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cornell has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best History Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,133 for history students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cornell.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, 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 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on History at Cornell

21

With a ranking of #21, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 159 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UNC Chapel Hill also did well on our “Best History Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $5,729 for history students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 95%.

Read full report on History at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

22
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wake Forest University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized school located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that handed out 33 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Wake Forest University is in the top on our “Best History Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Wake Forest University is $5,612 for History students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Wake Forest University

23

With a ranking of #23, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 163 ’s history degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle excels when it comes to history quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $6,399 for history students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW Seattle.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus History Report

24
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 91 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

Boston College also took the #17 spot in our “Best History Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,075 for History students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Boston College.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on History at Boston College

25

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 117 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best History Schools” list. It costs about $8,036 for History students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIUC.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign History Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia
28
29
30
31
VMI crest
Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, Virginia
32
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
33
34
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
35
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York
36
37
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York
38
Kenyon crest
Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio
39
40
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana
41
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia
42
43
44
45
46
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
47
48
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York
49
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value History Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburg, TX
52California State University - StanislausTurlock, CA
53Florida International UniversityMiami, FL
54University of California - San DiegoLa Jolla, CA
55Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbus, OH
56California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
57University of California - Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA

Notes and References

References

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