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2024 Best History Schools in Illinois

11 Colleges in Illinois
974 History Degrees Awarded
$32,707 Avg Early-Career Salary
History degree programs are on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of popularity. In fact, the major ranks #23 out of the 38 majors we look at each year. As such, your educational options may be more limited than if you were in a more popular field.

College Factual looked at 11 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best History Schools in Illinois ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 974 degrees in history to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great History School

Best History Schools in Illinois Your choice of history school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. 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.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

History Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in History
Master's Degrees in History
Doctor's Degrees in History

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 in Illinois. 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

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
103 History Degrees Awarded
4.9% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat University of Chicago if you wish to pursue a degree in history. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were approximately 103 history students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. History degree recipients from University of Chicago receive an earnings boost of about $7,639 above the typical earnings of history graduates.

More information about a degree in history from University of Chicago

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
82 History Degrees Awarded
30.5% Growth in Graduates

Northwestern University is a great decision for students interested in a degree in history. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 82 history students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Those history students who get their degree from Northwestern University make $6,284 more than the average history grad.

More information about a degree in history from Northwestern University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
117 History Degrees Awarded
10.3% Growth in Graduates

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in history. UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were about 117 history students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. History degree recipients from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign get an earnings boost of about $6,775 over the average earnings of history majors.

More information about a degree in history from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
107 History Degrees Awarded
$36,922 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in history needs to check out Illinois State University. Illinois State is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal. A Best Colleges rank of #231 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 107 history students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available. Those history students who get their degree from Illinois State University make $4,215 more than the standard history student.

More information about a degree in history from Illinois State University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
47 History Degrees Awarded
23.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #192 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 47 history students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the history program make around $24,997 for their early career.

More information about a degree in history from University of Illinois at Chicago

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$32,201 Median Starting Salary
$22,750 Median Student Debt

SIUE is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Edwardsville. This university ranks 31st out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 30 history students who graduated with this degree at SIUE in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the history program state that they receive average early career wages of $32,201.

More information about a degree in history from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$27,826 Median Starting Salary
$22,500 Median Student Debt

SIUC is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Carbondale. This university ranks 23rd out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 22 history students who graduated with this degree at SIUC in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the history program earn an average of $27,826 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in history from Southern Illinois University Carbondale

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 History Degrees Awarded
7.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 24th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 51 history students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent data year. After graduation, history degree recipients typically make about $32,454 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in history from Northern Illinois University

9
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
36 History Degrees Awarded
30.6% Growth in Graduates

DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #203 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.

There were roughly 36 history students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, history degree recipients typically make around $29,281 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in history from DePaul University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$30,685 Median Starting Salary
$16,991 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 50th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 30 history students who graduated with this degree at Northeastern Illinois University in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the history program state that they receive average early career earnings of $30,685.

More information about a degree in history from Northeastern Illinois University

Best History Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best History Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Indiana 38 533
Michigan 38 613
Ohio 38 975
Wisconsin 37 559

View All Rankings >

History Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
History 974

View All History Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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