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Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region

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2023 Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region

64 Colleges
$29,228 Avg Salary
$24,399 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best History School for You

Out of all the majors we analyze each year, history was ranked #23 in the country. In fact 32,731 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

The Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 64 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best History Colleges.

Top 10 Best History Schools

#1

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

Our 2023 rankings named University of Notre Dame the best school in the Great Lakes Region for history students. Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, history majors at Notre Dame accumulate an average of around $22,048 in student debt.

Full History at University of Notre Dame Report

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Out of the 64 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that history majors at Northwestern take out is $17,200.

Full History at Northwestern University Report

#3

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

History majors at UChicago take out an average of $13,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a great place for history students. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a fairly large student population.

History majors at UIUC take out an average of $20,991 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 $434.

Read full report on History at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#5

Kenyon College

Gambier, OH

Out of the 64 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Kenyon College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Kenyon is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Gambier.

Read full report on History at Kenyon College

#6

Ashland University

Ashland, OH

Ashland University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for history students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the town of Ashland, Ashland is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

After completing their degree, history graduates from Ashland carry an average student debtload of $27,000.

Read full report on History at Ashland University

#7

The College of Wooster

Wooster, OH

The College of Wooster landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best history programs. Located in the town of Wooster, Wooster College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

After completing their degree, history graduates from Wooster College carry an average student debtload of $26,000.

Full History at The College of Wooster Report

Illinois State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Normal.

On average, history graduates from Illinois State take out $21,741 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $294.

Read More…

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, history majors at U-M accumulate an average of around $19,169 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $334.

Full History at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Report

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best history programs. UW Oshkosh is a fairly large public school located in the city of Oshkosh.

Read More…

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for History students in the Great Lakes Region that almost earned our Best History Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.

Rank College Location
11 University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI
12 Wabash College Crawfordsville, IN

Best History Colleges by State

Explore the best history colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.

State Degrees Awarded
Indiana 533
Michigan 614
Ohio 986
Illinois 974
Wisconsin 561

History Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
History 32,731

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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