2023 Best History Schools in California
Finding the Best History School for You
With 5,392 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, history is the #21 most popular major in California.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best History Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 30 schools in California to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best History Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Best History Colleges.
Top 10 Best History Schools
Our analysis found National University to be the best school for history students who want to pursue a degree in California. Located in the large city of La Jolla, National University is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, history graduates from National University carry an average student debtload of $31,000.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of California - Berkeley is a great place for history students. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the city of Berkeley.
While working on their degree, history majors at UC Berkeley accumulate an average of around $14,456 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $526.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of California - Davis is a great place for history students. UC Davis is a very large public school located in the suburb of Davis.
On average, history graduates from UC Davis take out $14,916 in student loans while working on their degree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Southern California. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best History Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
History majors at USC take out an average of $12,500 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $709.
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University of California - Los Angeles came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best History Schools in California ranking. UCLA is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
History majors at UCLA take out an average of $14,200 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $241, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for history students. It came in at #7 on the list. UCSB is a very large public school located in the suburb of Santa Barbara.
While working on their degree, history majors at UCSB accumulate an average of around $18,000 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $255, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for history students. It came in at #8 on the list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo.
While working on their degree, history majors at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo accumulate an average of around $17,003 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $281, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full History at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Report
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University of California - San Diego landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best history programs. Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public school with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, history majors at UCSD accumulate an average of around $19,000 in student debt.
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Sonoma State University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best history programs. SSU is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Rohnert Park.
History majors at SSU take out an average of $15,742 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on History at Sonoma State University
Request InformationBest History Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best History Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 475 |
| Oregon | 342 |
| Hawaii | 68 |
| Nevada | 109 |
| Alaska | 41 |
More History Rankings in California
Rankings in Majors Related to History
History Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| History | 32,731 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Education | 327,871 |
| Social Sciences | 205,984 |
| Psychology | 195,678 |
| Communication & Journalism | 120,571 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 55,820 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Abraham Ortelius.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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