by our College Data Analytics Team
[History](/majors/history/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 35 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value history schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in history, balancing cost against outcomes.
For return on investment in history, no school beat Grinnell College this year. Grinnell College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Grinnell. Students from in state pay about $68,196 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for history graduates is $17,500. Early-career history graduates make about $39,687. Set against $17,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 14%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Northern Iowa earned it the #2 place for history. Set in the city of Cedar Falls, University Of Northern Iowa is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,936 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $21,712. Students borrow a median of $21,776 to complete the history program here. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients from University Of Northern Iowa generally make around $27,569. That is a strong return on a $21,776 median debt. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Iowa State University earned it the #3 place for history. Iowa State University is a very large public school located in the city of Ames. In-state tuition and fees average $10,787, while out-of-state students pay about $28,881. Typical student debt for history graduates is $26,007. Early-career history graduates make about $41,294. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Iowa State University admits about 89% of applicants.
University Of Iowa is a great value for students pursuing a degree in history, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Iowa City, University Of Iowa is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,283, with out-of-state students paying around $33,371. Students borrow a median of $25,978 to complete the history program here. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients from University Of Iowa generally make around $33,117. That is a strong return on a $25,978 median debt. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes Drake University one of the best values for history. Located in the city of Des Moines, Drake University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $51,960. Students borrow a median of $22,273 to complete the history program here. Early-career history graduates make about $56,228. Set against $22,273 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Drake University admits about 64% of applicants.
1
2
3
4
5
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 35 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.