2021 Best History Colleges for Veterans in the United States
Finding the Best History Schools for Vets
History is the #19 most popular major in the country with 25,943 bachelor's degrees awarded in 2018-2019.
This year's Best History Colleges for Veterans in the United States ranking analyzed 304 colleges that offered a bachelor's degree in history. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great history programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the history program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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More Ways to Rank History Schools
The history school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best History Schools for Veterans.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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.
2021 Best History Schools for Veterans in the United States
Check out the history programs at these schools if you want to see which ones are the best for vets.
Top 25 Most Veteran Friendly History Schools
Our rankings recognize Harvard University as the #1 school in this year's rankings. Harvard is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge. Harvard not only placed well in our veterans rankings. It is also #1 on our Best Colleges for History in the United States list.
Of the 31,566 students enrolled at Harvard, 378 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 297 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $22,846. On top of their other funding sources, 175 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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Columbia University in the City of New York comes in at #2 in this year's ranking. Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population. In addition to being on our best for vets list, Columbia has also earned the #3 rank in our Best Colleges for History in the United States ranking.
Our most recent data shows that 797 of the 31,077 students enrolled at Columbia were GI Bill® students, of which 528 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,878. To help with additional expenses, 361 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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Yale University earned the #3 spot in our 2021 rankings. Yale is a large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of New Haven. As a testament to the quality of education offered at Yale, the school also landed the #2 rank in our Best Colleges for History in the United States ranking.
Our most recent data shows that 60 of the 13,433 students enrolled at Yale were GI Bill® students, of which 58 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,964. In addition to receiving other benefits, 29 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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Our rankings recognize University of Pennsylvania as the #4 school in this year's rankings. UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. UPenn also took the #4 spot in our Best Colleges for History in the United States rankings.
According to our most recent data, UPenn supports 25,860 students, and 272 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 153 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $22,428. On top of their other funding sources, 106 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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Brown University landed the #5 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value history schools. Located in the midsize city of Providence, Brown is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. Brown not only placed well in our veterans rankings. It is also #6 on our Best Colleges for History in the United States list.
According to our most recent data, Brown supports 10,257 students, and 96 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 62 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $26,273. To help with additional expenses, 58 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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College of William and Mary landed the #6 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value history schools. Located in the suburb of Williamsburg, William & Mary is a public college with a medium-sized student population. On top of its placing in our veterans rankings, William & Mary also did well on our Best Colleges for History in the United States list. It's in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
Our most recent data shows that 469 of the 8,817 students enrolled at William & Mary were GI Bill® students, of which 379 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,209. On top of their other funding sources, 5 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. William & Mary does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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Duke University comes in at #7 in this year's ranking. Duke is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Durham. As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duke, the school also landed the #5 rank in our Best Colleges for History in the United States ranking.
According to our most recent data, Duke supports 16,606 students, and 288 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 248 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $24,322. To help with additional expenses, 115 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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American Public University System comes in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in the fringe town of Charles Town, American Military University is a private for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Our most recent data shows that 17,648 of the 46,088 students enrolled at American Military University were GI Bill® students, of which 15,614 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $3,733. During this same period, 10 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. American Military University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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Fordham University earned the #9 spot in our 2021 rankings. Fordham U is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Bronx. On top of its placing in our veterans rankings, Fordham U also did well on our Best Colleges for History in the United States list. It's in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
According to our most recent data, Fordham U supports 16,515 students, and 401 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 341 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $18,889. To help with additional expenses, 159 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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Our rankings recognize University of Virginia - Main Campus as the #10 school in this year's rankings. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public school with a very large student population. As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #8 rank in our Best Colleges for History in the United States ranking.
Of the 24,639 students enrolled at University of Virginia, 654 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 552 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $23,377.
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Rice University comes in at #11 in this year's ranking. Rice is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Houston. In addition to being on our best for vets list, Rice has also earned the #9 rank in our Best Colleges for History in the United States ranking.
Of the 7,124 students enrolled at Rice, 120 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 98 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $26,808. In addition to receiving other benefits, 72 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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The #12 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Boston College. Located in the small city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population. Boston College also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges for History in the United States list. It's in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
Our most recent data shows that 164 of the 14,720 students enrolled at Boston College were GI Bill® students, of which 130 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $24,987. During this same period, 74 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #13 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value history schools. UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the small city of Chapel Hill. UNC Chapel Hill also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges for History in the United States list. It's in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
According to our most recent data, UNC Chapel Hill supports 30,011 students, and 641 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 419 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $9,668. During this same period, 18 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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The #14 spot in this year's ranking belongs to New York University. NYU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. NYU also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges for History in the United States list. It's in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
According to our most recent data, NYU supports 51,847 students, and 681 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 482 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $21,831. During this same period, 265 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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American University comes in at #15 in this year's ranking. The American University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Washington. The American University excels when it comes to major quality. It's ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges for History in the United States list.
Of the 14,311 students enrolled at The American University, 614 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 522 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $22,029. To help with additional expenses, 245 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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Our rankings recognize University of Notre Dame as the #16 school in this year's rankings. Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Notre Dame. Notre Dame also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges for History in the United States list. It's in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
Among the 12,607 students enrolled at Notre Dame, 361 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 303 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $10,306. To help with additional expenses, 78 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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University of Chicago landed the #17 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value history schools. Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population. UChicago excels when it comes to major quality. It's ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Colleges for History in the United States list.
According to our most recent data, UChicago supports 17,002 students, and 181 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 107 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,167. On top of their other funding sources, 54 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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University of Wisconsin - Madison comes in at #18 in this year's ranking. Wisconsin is a very large public school located in the large city of Madison. Wisconsin excels when it comes to major quality. It's ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges for History in the United States list.
Of the 43,463 students enrolled at Wisconsin, 554 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 346 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,489. To help with additional expenses, 21 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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George Mason University landed the #19 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value history schools. Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public college with a very large student population. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, GMU also is in the top 15% of our Best Colleges for History in the United States ranking.
Among the 37,316 students enrolled at GMU, 2,265 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,599 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,143. During this same period, 44 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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Our rankings recognize University of North Texas as the #20 school in this year's rankings. Located in the midsize city of Denton, UNT is a public school with a very large student population.
Of the 38,241 students enrolled at UNT, 1,839 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,135 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $8,180. UNT does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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The #21 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Southern New Hampshire University. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Manchester, SNHU is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Of the 104,068 students enrolled at SNHU, 10,271 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 8,328 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $5,316. During this same period, 14 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. SNHU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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The University of Texas at Arlington landed the #22 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value history schools. UT Arlington is a very large public school located in the large city of Arlington.
Our most recent data shows that 2,100 of the 47,899 students enrolled at UT Arlington were GI Bill® students, of which 1,506 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $6,897. UT Arlington does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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The #23 spot in this year's ranking belongs to George Washington University. Located in the large city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population. GWU also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges for History in the United States list. It's in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
Of the 28,172 students enrolled at GWU, 1,274 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,076 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $16,151. During this same period, 349 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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The #24 spot in this year's ranking belongs to The University of Texas at Austin. UT Austin is a very large public school located in the large city of Austin. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UT Austin also is in the top 10% of our Best Colleges for History in the United States ranking.
Our most recent data shows that 1,201 of the 51,832 students enrolled at UT Austin were GI Bill® students, of which 843 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for these recipients was $11,949. UT Austin does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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Our rankings recognize University of Colorado Boulder as the #25 school in this year's rankings. Located in the medium-sized city of Boulder, CU - Boulder is a public college with a very large student population. CU - Boulder excels when it comes to major quality. It's ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges for History in the United States list.
Among the 36,681 students enrolled at CU - Boulder, 1,325 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,066 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,873. To help with additional expenses, 55 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. CU - Boulder does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best History Colleges for Veterans in the United States award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 46 | University of Florida | Gainesville, FL |
| 47 | University of Wisconsin - Whitewater | Whitewater, WI |
| 48 | University of Iowa | Iowa City, IA |
| 49 | Arizona State University - Tempe | Tempe, AZ |
| 50 | University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst, MA |
| 51 | Wabash College | Crawfordsville, IN |
| 52 | Providence College | Providence, RI |
| 53 | CUNY Queens College | Queens, NY |
| 54 | Binghamton University | Vestal, NY |
| 55 | Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, IL |
| 56 | The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL |
| 57 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro, NC |
| 58 | University of California - Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 59 | Auburn University | Auburn, AL |
| 60 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | Minneapolis, MN |
History by Region
View the best for vets History colleges in a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
History Related Veterans Rankings by Major
History Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| History | 25,943 |
View All History Related Majors >
Most Popular Majors Related to History
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Social Sciences | 154,751 |
| Psychology | 123,980 |
| Communication & Journalism | 96,549 |
| Education | 88,927 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 24,420 |
View All History Related Majors >
Notes and References
Footnotes
*Avg Cost is for the top 25 schools only.
**GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
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 the rest 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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Abraham Ortelius.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
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Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |
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Purdue University
Building on Purdue’s mission to provide greater access to affordable, world-class education, Purdue University Global delivers a fully personalized online experience that’s tailored to working adults. By opening the doors to adults who need flexibility to fit learning into their busy lives, we make it possible to achieve a high-quality education from the prestigious Purdue University system—completely online ... Learn More > |
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Grand Canyon University (GCU)
With a spotlight on intellectual creativity and innovation for the 21stcentury, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at GCU provides a job focused education. It blends the study of traditional humanities in a modern context. Through academic inquiry and beyond the box thinking, the college advances our society and its accomplishments ... Learn More > |
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Northcentral University
Northcentral University (NCU) was founded to provide accessible, high-quality, online graduate degrees to working professionals. As a regionally accredited, online university, NCU serves students worldwide, focusing on Doctoral and Master's degree programs in the Schools of Business and Technology Management, Education, Psychology, and Marriage and Family Sciences ... Learn More > |
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Colorado Technical University (CTU)
CTU could help you connect to what matters most: a powerful professional community, aculty who are real-world professionals, and innovative technology ... Learn More > |
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