Best Historian programs in Wisconsin, ranked by enrollment
Research, analyze, record, and interpret the past as recorded in sources, such as government and institutional records, newspapers and other periodicals, photographs, interviews, films, electronic media, and unpublished manuscripts, such.
25 schools in Wisconsin run programs that feed this job, graduating 592 people a year. The job pays a median of $45,810 in Wisconsin across about 50 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Wisconsin that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
8 programs in Wisconsin that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Wisconsin (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Wisconsin page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | History, Generalmain feeder CIP 54.0101In Wisconsin → | 540 | 91.2% | 25 | $31,217 | $24,000 |
| 2 | CIP 30.2202In Wisconsin → | 28 | 4.7% | 1 | $32,054 | $24,000 |
| 3 | Medieval and Renaissance Studiesmain feeder CIP 30.1301In Wisconsin → | 11 | 1.9% | 1 | — | — |
| 4 | CIP 54.0104In Wisconsin → | 4 | 0.7% | 1 | $31,217 | $24,000 |
| 5 | CIP 51.3204In Wisconsin → | 4 | 0.7% | 1 | $99,851 | $21,475 |
| 6 | History, Othermain feeder CIP 54.0199In Wisconsin → | 3 | 0.5% | 1 | $31,217 | $24,000 |
| 7 | Military Historymain feeder CIP 54.0108In Wisconsin → | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | $31,217 | $24,000 |
| 8 | CIP 30.2201In Wisconsin → | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | $32,054 | $24,000 |
Top 25 schools in Wisconsin
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 10 of the 25 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI Public · 4 feeder programs | 277 | History, General | $35,959 | 90% | — | 45% |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI Public · 1 feeder programs | 49 | History, General | $32,201 | 49% | — | 91% |
| 3 | University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI Public · 2 feeder programs | 43 | History, General | $28,998 | 64% | — | 82% |
| 4 | University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Green Bay, WI Public · 1 feeder programs | 28 | History, General | $32,930 | 48% | — | 89% |
| 5 | University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI Public · 1 feeder programs | 28 | History, General | $40,807 | 59% | — | 86% |
| 6 | Marquette University Milwaukee, WI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 19 | History, General | $36,907 | 83% | $25,376 | 81% |
| 7 | University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI Public · 1 feeder programs | 17 | History, General | — | 57% | — | 82% |
| 8 | Carthage College Kenosha, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 16 | History, General | — | 64% | $22,844 | 87% |
| 9 | Lawrence University Appleton, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 15 | History, General | — | 77% | $19,788 | 64% |
| 10 | Saint Norbert College De Pere, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 15 | History, General | — | 71% | $23,319 | 86% |
| 11 | University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI Public · 2 feeder programs | 13 | History, General | $35,947 | 51% | — | 92% |
| 12 | University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI Public · 1 feeder programs | 11 | History, General | $28,013 | 71% | — | 76% |
| 13 | University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI Public · 1 feeder programs | 11 | History, General | $32,259 | 46% | — | 87% |
| 14 | Ripon College Ripon, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | History, General | $25,421 | 63% | $19,267 | 80% |
| 15 | University of Wisconsin - Superior Superior, WI Public · 1 feeder programs | 9 | History, General | — | 42% | — | 93% |
| 16 | Edgewood University Madison, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 5 | History, General | — | 60% | $23,822 | 76% |
| 17 | University of Wisconsin - Parkside Kenosha, WI Public · 1 feeder programs | 5 | History, General | — | 40% | — | 75% |
| 18 | University of Wisconsin - Platteville Platteville, WI Public · 1 feeder programs | 5 | History, General | — | 56% | — | 89% |
| 19 | Carroll University Waukesha, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | History, General | — | 71% | $22,601 | 67% |
| 20 | Beloit College Beloit, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | History, General | — | 71% | $21,381 | 63% |
| 21 | Concordia University - Wisconsin Mequon, WI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 2 | Ancient Studies/Civilization | — | 68% | $24,409 | 78% |
| 22 | Maranatha Baptist University Watertown, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | History, General | — | 64% | $25,239 | 72% |
| 23 | Marian University Fond Du Lac, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | History, General | — | 44% | $22,627 | 75% |
| 24 | Wisconsin Lutheran College Milwaukee, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | History, General | — | 64% | $19,138 | 78% |
| 25 | Lakeland University Plymouth, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | History, General | — | 42% | $20,767 | 86% |
All 25 schools in Wisconsin
Every school in Wisconsin with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin - Madison | Madison | Public | 277 | 4 |
| University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee | Milwaukee | Public | 49 | 1 |
| University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire | Eau Claire | Public | 43 | 2 |
| University of Wisconsin - Green Bay | Green Bay | Public | 28 | 1 |
| University of Wisconsin - Whitewater | Whitewater | Public | 28 | 1 |
| Marquette University | Milwaukee | Private not-for-profit | 19 | 2 |
| University of Wisconsin - River Falls | River Falls | Public | 17 | 1 |
| Carthage College | Kenosha | Private not-for-profit | 16 | 1 |
| Lawrence University | Appleton | Private not-for-profit | 15 | 1 |
| Saint Norbert College | De Pere | Private not-for-profit | 15 | 1 |
| University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | Stevens Point | Public | 13 | 2 |
| University of Wisconsin - La Crosse | La Crosse | Public | 11 | 1 |
| University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh | Oshkosh | Public | 11 | 1 |
| Ripon College | Ripon | Private not-for-profit | 10 | 1 |
| University of Wisconsin - Superior | Superior | Public | 9 | 1 |
What historians earn in Wisconsin
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $76,750. Wisconsin pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Historians page.
How to become a Historian
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Wisconsin
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 24 majors mapped to Historians20 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 04.0801Architectural History and Criticism, General
- 04.0802Architectural Conservation
- 30.1201Historic Preservation and Conservation, General
- 30.1202Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis
- 30.1299Historic Preservation and Conservation, Other
- 30.1301Medieval and Renaissance Studies
- 30.2101Holocaust and Related Studies
- 30.2201Ancient Studies/Civilization
- 30.2202Classical, Ancient Mediterranean, and Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology
- 30.2299Classical and Ancient Studies, Other
- 30.2901Maritime Studies
- 30.4501History and Language/Literature(no graduates reported)
- 30.4601History and Political Science
- 51.3204Medical/Health Humanities
- 51.3205History of Medicine(no graduates reported)
- 54.0101History, General
- 54.0102American History (United States)
- 54.0103European History
- 54.0104History and Philosophy of Science and Technology
- 54.0105Public/Applied History
- 54.0106Asian History(no graduates reported)
- 54.0107Canadian History(no graduates reported)
- 54.0108Military History
- 54.0199History, Other
Common questions
Answers for people weighing historians programs in Wisconsin.
What degree do you need to become a Historian?+
Master's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is History, General, which awarded 540 degrees in Wisconsin in 2024-25, 91.2% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Historian?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 8 programs to this occupation. The largest are History, Classical and Ancient Studies, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Health Professions Education. Together they graduate about 592 people a year in Wisconsin.
How much do historians earn in Wisconsin?+
The median is $45,810 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 40.3% below the U.S. median of $76,750. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for historians growing?+
BLS projects a +2.2% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 300 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Wisconsin?+
25 institutions in Wisconsin reported graduates from at least one of the 8 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do historians work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Historian, Researcher, Collections Specialist, Historical Interpreter among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-3093.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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