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2022 Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region

20 Ranked Colleges
135 Degrees Awarded
$32,900 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

History is the 22nd most popular major in the country with 32,905 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, history graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,593 and had an average of $23,490 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,735 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,343 and $24,004 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 135 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $74,428 and $121,375 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 20 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region.

Top 23 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for History in the Great Lakes Region

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s history degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #4 spot in our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about History at UW - Madison

#2

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #2 spot on the list. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 3 doctorate’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northern Illinois University are $11,086, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on History at Northern Illinois University

#3

Marquette University

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#8 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Marquette University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s history students in 2019-2020.

Marquette also took the #8 spot in our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Marquette are $21,690, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Marquette University History Report

#4

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Loyola University Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 4 degrees to qualified doctorate’s history students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region doctor’s degree history students list, Loyola Chicago has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Loyola Chicago are $19,154, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Loyola Chicago History Report

#5

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#16 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Central Michigan University landed the #5 spot on the list. Central Michigan is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Central Michigan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Central Michigan University are $19,359, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Central Michigan University History Report

#5 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 15 degrees to qualified doctorate’s history students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign History Report

#12 in overall quality

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region list. UC is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 2 doctorate’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

UC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC are $26,644, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on History at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

#8

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#13 in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region doctor’s degree history students list, Purdue has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus History Report

#20 in overall quality

University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in Akron, Ohio, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Akron Main Campus also took the #20 spot in our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Akron Main Campus are $15,217, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about History at University of Akron Main Campus

#10

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#17 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s history students in 2019-2020.

UWM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee are $25,295, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on History at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s history degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Chicago are $27,036, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on History at University of Illinois at Chicago

#12

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#9 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region list. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 11 doctorate’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at IU Bloomington are $33,338, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington History Report

#22 in overall quality

Kent State University at Kent did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. Kent State is a public institution located in Kent, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Kent State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Kent State are $21,952, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on History at Kent State

#13

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#15 in overall quality

Western Michigan University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region list. WMU is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 3 doctorate’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

WMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at WMU are $31,355.

Full WMU History Report

#14

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State University are $37,056, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Michigan State University History Report

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State are $37,141, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about History at Ohio State

#16

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan
#19 in overall quality

Wayne State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Wayne State is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 3 doctorate’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

Wayne State also made our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. Average graduate tuition and fees at Wayne State University are $37,215, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about History at Wayne State

#18 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 1 degrees to qualified doctorate’s history students in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at SIUC are $32,928, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full SIUC History Report

#17

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#3 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also took the #3 spot in our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548.

Read full report on History at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#18

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#2 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 14 doctorate’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Notre Dame are $57,522.

Read full report on History at Notre Dame

#19

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Northwestern University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567.

Read more about History at Northwestern University

#15 in overall quality

Case Western Reserve University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. Case Western is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 1 doctorate’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

Case Western not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Case Western Reserve University are $47,958, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Case Western History Report

#20

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also made our “Best History Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at UChicago are $61,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on History at University of Chicago

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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