History colleges in Illinois, ranked by graduates
19 colleges in Illinois awarded at least 10 bachelor's degrees in history in 2023: 547 degrees, 1.5% of all bachelor's degrees at those colleges (1% across every college CollegeCalcAI tracks). Illinois State University graduated the most (105, 2.3% of its class). 8 of the 19 are public universities. The median acceptance rate among them is 76%; the most selective is University of Chicago at 4%.
History colleges in Illinois
Every Illinois college awarding at least 10 bachelor's degrees in history, ranked by 2023 graduates. Click a college for its history page.
| # | College | Type | Degrees (2023) | Share of grads | Acceptance rate | SAT 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois State University | Public | 105 | 2.3% | 88% | 1220 |
| 2 | University of Illinois | Public | 77 | 0.9% | 42% | 1480 |
| 3 | University of Chicago | Private | 52 | 2.7% | 4% | 1570 |
| 4 | Northern Illinois University | Public | 40 | 1.6% | 70% | 1180 |
| 5 | Loyola University Chicago | Private | 35 | 1.4% | 82% | 1330 |
| 6 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Public | 28 | 1.4% | 98% | 1180 |
| 7 | DePaul University | Private | 25 | 0.8% | 76% | 1280 |
| 8 | Eastern Illinois University | Public | 25 | 2.3% | 65% | 1080 |
| 9 | Northwestern University | Private | 24 | 1.1% | 8% | 1560 |
| 10 | Illinois Springfield | Public | 19 | 3.2% | 86% | 1120 |
| 11 | Aurora University | Private | 15 | 1.2% | 81% | 1230 |
| 12 | Elmhurst University | Private | 15 | 2% | 74% | 1230 |
| 13 | Illinois College | Private | 15 | 5.8% | 78% | 1230 |
| 14 | Southern Illinois University | Public | 14 | 0.8% | 87% | 1150 |
| 15 | Western Illinois University | Public | 13 | 1.2% | 71% | 1060 |
| 16 | Wheaton College (IL) | Private | 13 | 2.5% | 87% | 1230 |
| 17 | North Central College | Private | 12 | 2.2% | 77% | 1250 |
| 18 | Lake Forest College | Private | 10 | 2.4% | 57% | 1270 |
| 19 | Lewis University | Private | 10 | 1.1% | 71% | 1150 |
Questions about history colleges in Illinois
What is the best college for history in Illinois?
By bachelor's degrees awarded in 2023, the largest history programs in Illinois are Illinois State University (105), University of Illinois (77), University of Chicago (52). "Best" depends on your profile: this page ranks every Illinois college in the field by output and shows each one's acceptance rate and admitted SAT so you can match it to your own numbers.
How many colleges in Illinois offer history?
19 four-year colleges in Illinois awarded 10 or more bachelor's degrees in history in 2023, 8 public and 11 private, for 547 graduates in total.
Is in-state status an advantage for history in Illinois?
At the 8 public universities on this list, Illinois residents are usually admitted at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants and pay in-state tuition. CollegeCalcAI applies the residency effect when you set your home state, and the per-major adjustment when you set the major.
History elsewhere
The same field in other states, and the national ranking.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 Completions (bachelor's degrees, first majors, CIP 2-digit series), joined to CollegeCalcAI's admissions dataset. Built 2026-09-19. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are not predictions or guarantees.