Ohio · History

Best colleges for History in Ohio

Ranked by graduate earnings

University of Akron Main Campus, University of Cincinnati and Miami University - Oxford are the top bachelor's History programs in Ohio by graduate earnings. University of Akron Main Campus leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $32,577, College Scorecard. Ohio State University, Ashland University and Kent State University at Kent award the most History degrees in Ohio: 114, 59 and 51 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 56 Ohio colleges offer History and award 801 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The History program offers students a comprehensive understanding of past events, societies, and cultures. It is designed for individuals interested in exploring various historical contexts, from American and European history to military…

Institutions
56
offering CIP 54.01
States & territories
53
with a program page
Degrees / yr
801
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$29,535
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
20
College Scorecard
Median net price
$21,492
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
54%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Historians
$68,170
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 10 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1University of Akron Main Campus
Akron Public · Bachelor's degree
$32,5773352%—$23,100
2University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati Public · Bachelor's degree
$31,2173475%—$23,756
3Miami University - Oxford
Oxford Public · Bachelor's degree
$31,1944180%—$26,000
4Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green Public · Bachelor's degree
$30,2264664%—$26,000
5Cleveland State University
Cleveland Public · Bachelor's degree
$29,5352851%—$25,000
6Kent State University at Kent
Kent Public · Bachelor's degree
$28,4765164%—$27,000
7Wright State University
Dayton Public · Bachelor's degree
$27,1572142%—$19,276
8Ohio State University
Columbus Public · Bachelor's degree
$26,66311488%—$21,500
9Ohio University
Athens Public · Bachelor's degree
$24,0754165%—$26,000
10Baldwin Wallace University
Berea Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree Small program
$31,1631567%$25,104$27,000

Colleges awarding the most History degrees in Ohio

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1Ohio State University
Columbus Public
114$26,663
2Ashland University
Ashland Private not-for-profit
59Not reported
3Kent State University at Kent
Kent Public
51$28,476
4Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green Public
46$30,226
5Miami University - Oxford
Oxford Public
41$31,194
6Ohio University
Athens Public
41$24,075
7University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati Public
34$31,217
8University of Akron Main Campus
Akron Public
33$32,577
9Oberlin College
Oberlin Private not-for-profit
33Not reported
10Cleveland State University
Cleveland Public
28$29,535
Show the other 46 Ohio colleges offering History
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Kenyon CollegeGambierPrivate not-for-profit23
Wright State UniversityDaytonPublic21
The College of WoosterWoosterPrivate not-for-profit17
Xavier UniversityCincinnatiPrivate not-for-profit17
Baldwin Wallace UniversityBereaPrivate not-for-profit15
Franciscan University of SteubenvilleSteubenvillePrivate not-for-profit15
Ohio Wesleyan UniversityDelawarePrivate not-for-profit14
Sinclair Community CollegeDaytonPublic14
Youngstown State UniversityYoungstownPublic14
Case Western Reserve UniversityClevelandPrivate not-for-profit13
University of ToledoToledoPublic13
Denison UniversityGranvillePrivate not-for-profit11
Marietta CollegeMariettaPrivate not-for-profit11
Cedarville UniversityCedarvillePrivate not-for-profit10
University of DaytonDaytonPrivate not-for-profit10
Muskingum UniversityNew ConcordPrivate not-for-profit10
Wittenberg UniversitySpringfieldPrivate not-for-profit10
Otterbein UniversityWestervillePrivate not-for-profit9
John Carroll UniversityUniversity HeightsPrivate not-for-profit8
University of Mount UnionAlliancePrivate not-for-profit8
Mount Vernon Nazarene UniversityMount VernonPrivate not-for-profit5
Ohio State University - Marion CampusMarionPublic4
Ohio State University - Newark CampusNewarkPublic4
University of Rio GrandeRio GrandePrivate not-for-profit4
Bluffton UniversityBlufftonPrivate not-for-profit3
Capital UniversityColumbusPrivate not-for-profit3
University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash CollegeBlue AshPublic3
Ohio Christian UniversityCirclevillePrivate not-for-profit3
Defiance CollegeDefiancePrivate not-for-profit3
Ohio State University - Lima CampusLimaPublic3
University of Cincinnati-Clermont CollegeBataviaPublic2
The University of FindlayFindlayPrivate not-for-profit2
Heidelberg UniversityTiffinPrivate not-for-profit2
Hiram CollegeHiramPrivate not-for-profit2
Ohio Northern UniversityAdaPrivate not-for-profit2
Ohio State University - Mansfield CampusMansfieldPublic2
Shawnee State UniversityPortsmouthPublic2
Lake Erie CollegePainesvillePrivate not-for-profit1
Lourdes UniversitySylvaniaPrivate not-for-profit1
Malone UniversityCantonPrivate not-for-profit1
Ohio University - Chillicothe CampusChillicothePublic1
Ohio University - Southern CampusIrontonPublic1
Ohio University - Lancaster CampusLancasterPublic1
Ohio University - Zanesville CampusZanesvillePublic1
Ursuline CollegePepper PikePrivate not-for-profit1
Wilmington CollegeWilmingtonPrivate not-for-profit1

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Historians (SOC 19-3093).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+2.2%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~300
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$74,050
typically Master's degree

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionWritingCritical ThinkingSpeakingActive ListeningActive Learning

What Historians earn in Ohio

Jobs in Ohio
—
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$68,170
median $60,350
Best-paying metro
$85,960
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH

Related careers

History Teachers, Postsecondary
$82,920 avg · 650 jobs
Curators
$69,920 avg · 370 jobs
Museum Technicians and Conservators
$52,700 avg · 350 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing History programs in Ohio.

Which Ohio colleges award the most History degrees?+

Ohio State University (114 graduates a year), Ashland University (59 graduates a year) and Kent State University at Kent (51 graduates a year) award the most History degrees in Ohio, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 56 Ohio colleges offer History.

What is the best college for History in Ohio?+

By graduate earnings, University of Akron Main Campus leads among bachelor's History programs in Ohio, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $32,577, College Scorecard. University of Cincinnati and Miami University - Oxford follow. By degrees awarded, Ohio State University is the largest, with 114 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

Which History program in Ohio has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, University of Akron Main Campus tops the list at $32,577. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Historians earn in Ohio?+

The average annual wage for Historians in Ohio is $68,170 (median $60,350). Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the History program?+

The History program offers students a comprehensive understanding of past events, societies, and cultures. It is designed for individuals interested in exploring various historical contexts, from American and European history to military…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop reading comprehension, writing, critical thinking, speaking, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Historians?+

The national job outlook is about +2.2% growth with around 300 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Master's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

Explore every U.S. college in one conversation

Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card