by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2025, College Factual analyzed 378 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best History Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 23,992 bachelor's degrees in history to qualified students.
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The history bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality history program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for history students working on their bachelor's degree.
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 Bachelor's Degree Schools.
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.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in history. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
It's difficult to beat Harvard University if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in history. Harvard is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Cambridge.More information about a bachelor’s in history from Harvard University
Duke University is a wonderful option for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in history. Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in history from Duke University
University of Pennsylvania is a wonderful choice for students interested in a bachelor's degree in history. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in history from University of Pennsylvania
Yale University is a great choice for students interested in a bachelor's degree in history. Located in the medium-sized city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in history from Yale University
U-M is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor.More information about a bachelor’s in history from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston.More information about a bachelor’s in history from Northwestern University
Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in history from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in history from Columbia University in the City of New York
Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in history from New York University
Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville.More information about a bachelor’s in history from Vanderbilt University
Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in history from University of Notre Dame
Boston College is a large private not-for-profit college located in the small city of Chestnut Hill.More information about a bachelor’s in history from Boston College
Located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in history from University of California - Santa Barbara
Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in history from University of California - Los Angeles
Dartmouth is a medium-sized private not-for-profit college located in the town of Hanover.More information about a bachelor’s in history from Dartmouth College
Located in the midsize city of Providence, Brown is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in history from Brown University
Located in the city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in history from Texas A&M University - College Station
Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in history from University of Virginia - Main Campus
USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a bachelor’s in history from University of Southern California
Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Houston.More information about a bachelor’s in history from Rice University
Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in history from University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Located in the medium-sized city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in history from University of Florida
Located in the large city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in history from Georgetown University
Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in history from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Ohio State is a very large public university located in the city of Columbus.More information about a bachelor’s in history from Ohio State University - Main Campus
This list shows the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best History Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 20% of the 378 different United States history schools we analyzed.
Here are some additional great schools for History students that almost earned our Best History Bachelor's Degree Schools award.
View the Best History Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| History | 23,992 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Social Sciences | 140,768 |
| Communication & Journalism | 82,134 |
| Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities | 37,813 |
| English Language & Literature | 34,388 |
| Foreign Languages & Linguistics | 18,886 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 18,875 |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | 13,318 |
| Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies | 8,669 |
| Theology & Religious Vocations | 6,878 |