15 Best Online Bachelor’s in History Programs

Why get an online his­to­ry degree? Indi­vid­u­als who have a pas­sion for his­to­ry can use their knowl­edge to influ­ence future events by edu­cat­ing oth­ers. Keep­ing his­to­ry alive is the best way to pre­vent it from repeat­ing itself. Under­stand­ing why events in the past hap­pened and being able to teach oth­ers, not only hon­ors our ances­tors but pro­vides valu­able lessons that allow us to cre­ate a bet­ter future.

When choos­ing an online his­to­ry degree, you need to decide on a pro­gram that fits your needs but is also flex­i­ble enough to allow you to accom­plish your goals while you are attend­ing school. By attend­ing class online, you will be able to go to work as usu­al and still main­tain your school sched­ule. Study when you are capa­ble of focus­ing your undi­vid­ed atten­tion on your course­work. This will allow you to get the most out of your edu­ca­tion and reap the rewards of your degree.

Methodology: How We Ranked the Best Online History Degrees

When it comes to online degrees, stu­dents have a lot of choic­es, but Bachelor’s Degree Cen­ter fea­tures only rep­utable, accred­it­ed insti­tu­tions for its rank­ings. Pro­grams are ranked accord­ing to tuition, stu­dent sat­is­fac­tion, and salary poten­tial, using data from IPEDS and Niche.

1. Washington State University

Wash­ing­ton State Uni­ver­si­ty has a BA in his­to­ry that is one of the best online his­to­ry degrees. WSU’s fac­ul­ty includes teach­ers and researchers in The Amer­i­can West, reli­gious, envi­ron­men­tal, gen­der and Euro­pean his­to­ry. This pro­gram is offered online and help stu­dents devel­op infor­ma­tion lit­er­a­cy, sym­bol­ic rea­son­ing and com­mu­ni­ca­tion skills. Grad­u­ates go on to become gov­ern­ment ser­vants, lawyers, busi­ness peo­ple and politi­cians. Oth­ers become writ­ers and teachers.

Wash­ing­ton State is a large insti­tu­tion with 23,000 under­grad­u­ate stu­dents locat­ed in Pull­man, Wash­ing­ton. With an accep­tance rate of 77%, admis­sions is some­what com­pet­i­tive. Those accept­ed enroll in majors such as nurs­ing, psy­chol­o­gy and social sciences.

High­light: WSU is the num­ber 2 top pub­lic Uni­ver­si­ty in Wash­ing­ton state.
Degree: B.A. in History

Wash­ing­ton State Uni­ver­si­ty BA in History

2. Arizona State University

Ari­zona State Uni­ver­si­ty has a BA in his­to­ry that is among the best online his­to­ry degrees. This pro­gram pre­pares stu­dents for a com­pet­i­tive mar­ket­place. There is an increas­ing demand for crit­i­cal think­ing and writ­ing core com­pe­ten­cies. Stu­dents who grad­u­at­ed from this pro­gram go on to engage in suc­cess­ful careers in edu­ca­tion, pub­lic ser­vice and busi­ness. This pro­gram wel­comes stu­dents who wish to trans­fer a large num­ber of cred­its from anoth­er pro­gram. Many grad­u­ates go on to get their mas­ters degrees in law, jus­tice stud­ies, pub­lic administration.

Ari­zona State Uni­ver­si­ty is locat­ed in the Phoenix area. Over 39,000 stu­dents attend this high-rank­ing under­grad­u­ate Uni­ver­si­ty. The Uni­ver­si­ty accepts 85% of those who apply. This gives those who wish to attend a high like­li­hood of accep­tance. Those who are accept­ed can engage in major such as busi­ness, psy­chol­o­gy anoth­er pop­u­lar degrees.

High­light: Ari­zona State grad­u­ates 69% of its stu­dents, which is par­tic­u­lar­ly high in rela­tion to its com­peti­tors.
Degree: B.A. in History

Ari­zona State Uni­ver­si­ty BA in History

3. University of Arizona

Anoth­er one of the best online his­to­ry degrees, the BA in his­to­ry offered by the Uni­ver­si­ty of Ari­zona gives stu­dents a wide range of expe­ri­ence in edu­ca­tion. This dynam­ic pro­gram includes con­cen­tra­tions such as fam­i­ly inti­ma­cy and dynam­ics in the work­place. For stu­dents who want to learn about the build­ing of nations and com­mu­ni­ties, this might be a good fit. Grad­u­ates con­tribute to the con­tin­ued pur­suit of knowl­edge in mas­ters degree pro­grams or enter roles in research, teach­ing or writ­ing across the humanities.

This high­ly rat­ed uni­ver­si­ty locat­ed in Tuc­son is open to the pub­lic. There are over 29,000 under­grad­u­ate stu­dents enrolled. With an accep­tance rate of 84%, the uni­ver­si­ty offers a place to four out of five stu­dents who wish to attend. oth­er pop­u­lar majors include lib­er­al arts, Phys­i­ol­o­gy and psychology.

High­light: Ari­zona is ranked sec­ond among the best col­leges in the state.
Degree: B.A. in History

BA in His­to­ry — Uni­ver­si­ty of Arizona

4. University of Nebraska at Kearney

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Nebras­ka Kear­ney has a BA in his­to­ry that is wide­ly con­sid­ered to be one of the best online his­to­ry degrees in the region. This degree gives stu­dents a firm foun­da­tion in how to study past events, ideas in peo­ple. It cov­ers U.S. and world his­to­ry. Stu­dents gain knowl­edge of con­tem­po­rary soci­ety and learn to look at mod­ern events from a his­tor­i­cal per­spec­tive. The pro­gram per­spec­tive also includes mul­ti­cul­tur­al sensitivity.

UNK is a pub­lic uni­ver­si­ty with just under 4,000 under­grad­u­ate stu­dents. Near­ly every­one who applies is accept­ed, and the accep­tance rate is 94%. Oth­er pop­u­lar majors include ele­men­tary edu­ca­tion and business.

High­light: As the sec­ond rat­ed-top uni­ver­si­ty in Nebras­ka, The Uni­ver­si­ty of Nebras­ka Kear­ney offers online learn­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties for stu­dents across the coun­try.
Degree: B.A. in History

Uni­ver­si­ty of Nebras­ka Kear­ney BA in History

5. Sam Houston State University

Sam Hous­ton State Uni­ver­si­ty’s BA in his­to­ry is one of the best online his­to­ry degrees in Texas. Stu­dents who pur­sue this degree take a for­eign lan­guage and a minor as well as his­to­ry course­work. Those who wish to teach can also get their teach­ing cer­ti­fi­ca­tion as part of their under­grad­u­ate expe­ri­ence. Areas of con­cen­tra­tion include world his­to­ry, mil­i­tary his­to­ry, African Amer­i­can his­to­ry, and Latin Amer­i­can history.

Sam Hous­ton is the num­ber 11 top Uni­ver­si­ty in Texas. This above-aver­age school is locat­ed in Huntsville and enrolls over 15,000 under­grad­u­ate learn­ers. With an accep­tance rate of 79%, most stu­dents who apply receive an accep­tance let­ter. Once accept­ed, pop­u­lar majors include safe­ty stud­ies, lib­er­al arts and business.

High­light: Stu­dents liv­ing in the area have a unique oppor­tu­ni­ty for a muse­um intern­ship at the Sam Hous­ton Memo­r­i­al Muse­um locat­ed near the cam­pus.
Degree: B.A. in History

Sam Hous­ton State Uni­ver­si­ty BA in History

6. University of Idaho

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Ida­ho has a his­to­ry BA/BS that is among the best online his­to­ry degrees. As part of their expe­ri­ence in this pro­gram, stu­dents explore the human expe­ri­ence over a range of con­ti­nents, cul­tures and cen­turies. The degree is avail­able online and on-cam­pus, and both expe­ri­ences enrich stu­dents’ knowl­edge and help them devel­op strong writ­ing and prob­lem-solv­ing skills. Crit­i­cal think­ing is a key focus of this pro­gram. Grad­u­ates go on to become lawyers, doc­tors and farm­ers as well as suc­cess­ful employ­ees in numer­ous oth­er professions.

U of I is locat­ed in Moscow, Ida­ho, and the mid-size Uni­ver­si­ty has near­ly 7000 under­grad­u­ate stu­dents. The accep­tance rate is 77%, mak­ing it a hey com­pet­i­tive Uni­ver­si­ty to get into. Those who do receive the green light can major in mechan­i­cal engi­neer­ing, psy­chol­o­gy, human­i­ties and ther avail­able majors.

High­light: The Uni­ver­si­ty of Ida­ho is the num­ber one best col­lege in Ida­ho.
Degree: His­to­ry BA/BS

Uni­ver­si­ty of Ida­ho His­to­ry BA/BS

7. Maryville University

Maryville Uni­ver­si­ty has a BA in his­to­ry that is among the best online his­to­ry degrees. 100% of the pro­gram is offered online, mak­ing it avail­able for those who are pur­su­ing fam­i­ly or career goals. The inno­v­a­tive and inter­ac­tive pro­gram fea­tures career-focused course­work so that stu­dents can learn about his­tor­i­cal research tech­niques. Stu­dents also home their com­mu­ni­ca­tion and analy­sis skills. While earn­ing a degree in his­to­ry, stu­dents can tai­lor their cours­es to fit their pro­fes­sion­al and per­son­al goals.

This well-respect­ed uni­ver­si­ty is a pri­vate insti­tu­tion locat­ed in the Saint Louis area. It has approx­i­mate­ly 2,600 under­grad­u­ate stu­dents and accepts 95% of those who apply. The school grad­u­ates 72% of stu­dents who begin their edu­ca­tion here or trans­fer from oth­er uni­ver­si­ties. This is an excep­tion­al­ly high rate. Pop­u­lar majors include busi­ness, psy­chol­o­gy and nursing.

High­light: Maryville Uni­ver­si­ty ranks num­ber ten among the best col­leges that focus on online stud­ies.
Degree: BA in History

Maryville Uni­ver­si­ty BA in History

8. Westfield State University

West­field State Uni­ver­si­ty has a BA in his­to­ry that is one of the best online his­to­ry degrees in Mass­a­chu­setts. This pro­gram focus­es on giv­ing stu­dents a his­tor­i­cal per­spec­tive and the back­ground nec­es­sary to under­stand social issues that relate to mod­ern events. Stu­dents go on to become teach­ers, econ­o­mists, busi­ness­peo­ple and social work­ers, among oth­er fields. The school also offers a minor in history.

West­field has more than 4,500 under­grad­u­ate stu­dents and accepts 86% of stu­dents who apply. Grad­u­at­ing 63% of stu­dents, West­field offers majors in safe­ty stud­ies, lib­er­al arts and a range of oth­er fields.

High­light: 86% of stu­dents receive some form of finan­cial aid, mak­ing this an afford­able choice for most stu­dents.
Degree: B.A. in History

West­field State Uni­ver­si­ty BA in History

9. University of Alaska Anchorage

The Uni­ver­si­ty of Alas­ka Anchor­age has one of the best online his­to­ry degrees. UAA’s BA in his­to­ry looks at the breadth of human expe­ri­ence and help stu­dents pre­pare for careers relat­ed to his­to­ry or grad­u­ate stud­ies and in numer­ous fields. His­to­ry schol­ar­ships and finan­cial aid are avail­able to help pay for tuition and fees. Writ­ing, crit­i­cal think­ing and prob­lem solv­ing are some of the trans­fer­able skills that stu­dents pick up in this pro­gram. These skills can be applied across a wide range of careers.

Alas­ka Anchor­age is a mid­size insti­tu­tion with more than 6,400 under­grad­u­ate stu­dents. The Uni­ver­si­ty accepts 81% of those who apply. Stu­dents can attend class­es for nurs­ing, account­ing and human­i­ties, as well as oth­er pop­u­lar majors.

High­light: 82% of stu­dents receive some form of finan­cial aid. This helps stu­dents afford their online edu­ca­tion while jug­gling fam­i­ly and oth­er finan­cial con­sid­er­a­tions.
Degree: BA in History

Uni­ver­si­ty of Alas­ka Anchor­age BA in History

10. Regent University

Those who love his­to­ry might want to con­sid­er a BA in his­to­ry at Regent Uni­ver­si­ty. As one of the best online his­to­ry degrees, this pro­gram gives stu­dents a great foun­da­tion in the his­to­ry of civ­i­liza­tions and piv­otal events. Stu­dents study dif­fer­ent cul­tures, places and peo­ple and can take con­cen­tra­tions in west­ern civ­i­liza­tion, US his­to­ry and world his­to­ry. The school takes a Chris­t­ian world­view in class­es and poli­cies. Stu­dents can sharp­en their skills such as ana­lyt­i­cal think­ing, writ­ing and research. Build­ing on this firm foun­da­tion grad­u­ates go on to apply Chris­t­ian prin­ci­ples and their knowl­edge to grad­u­ate stud­ies or posi­tions in relat­ed job roles.

Locat­ed in Vir­ginia Beach, Regent is a small school that enrolls about 2,300 under­grad­u­ate stu­dents. 82% of stu­dents who are accept­ed can engage in major such as psy­chol­o­gy, com­mu­ni­ca­tions and history.

High­light: The his­to­ry degree is avail­able 100% online, this makes it easy for stu­dents to study when it’s con­ve­nient for them.
Degree: B.A. in History

BA in His­to­ry — Regent University

11. King University

King Uni­ver­si­ty’s BS in his­to­ry is one of the best online his­to­ry degrees avail­able in Ten­nessee. His­tor­i­cal stud­ies give stu­dents a firm foun­da­tion in under­stand­ing how civ­i­liza­tions form and how peo­ple in dif­fer­ent places have gone about build­ing com­mu­ni­ties and gov­ern­ments. The online his­to­ry degree pro­vides a diverse plat­form to mas­ter a range of top­ics such as the Civ­il War, the Cold War, World War I and World War II, and oth­er piv­otal events.

King is a pri­vate, Chris­t­ian Uni­ver­si­ty. This small insti­tu­tion has just 1,500 under­grad­u­ate enrollees. Just 58% of stu­dents who apply get the nod from the admis­sions com­mit­tee. Those who do make the cut can choose from numer­ous majors that include adult health nurs­ing, infor­ma­tion tech­nol­o­gy and business.

High­light: King Uni­ver­si­ty is the num­ber 10 rat­ed school among the best col­leges in Ten­nessee.
Degree: B.S. in History

King Uni­ver­si­ty BS in History

12. Liberty University

Lib­er­ty Uni­ver­si­ty has a BS in his­to­ry that is among the best online his­to­ry degrees with a con­ser­v­a­tive bent. Stu­dents who have a keen inter­est in his­tor­i­cal stud­ies may enjoy this pro­gram’s immer­sion into the inves­ti­ga­tion of the human con­di­tion. Study­ing moti­va­tions and deci­sions of his­tor­i­cal peo­ple can help stu­dents bet­ter under­stand the mod­ern con­text of our nation’s lead­ers and activists. This his­to­ry degree gives stu­dents a well-round­ed edu­ca­tion and access to stu­dents from across the coun­try and around the world. Learn about eco­nom­ic trends, wars and pub­lic perception.

Lib­er­ty Uni­ver­si­ty was found­ed by Dr. Jer­ry Fal­well. It is known as a con­ser­v­a­tive Chris­t­ian cen­ter of knowl­edge. Those who want to receive their edu­ca­tion through a Christ-cen­tered lens may val­ue this oppor­tu­ni­ty. The founders of the uni­ver­si­ty believed that knowl­edge and val­ues are intri­cate­ly tied and that it is impor­tant to inter­min­gle them dur­ing the pur­suit of education.

High­light: Lib­er­ty Uni­ver­si­ty is ranked the num­ber 6 best online col­leges in the nation.
Degree: B.S. in History

Lib­er­ty Uni­ver­si­ty BS in History

13. Ashford University

Ash­ford Uni­ver­si­ty offers a BA in his­to­ry that many grad­u­ates con­sid­ered to be among the best online his­to­ry degrees. This gives stu­dents access to edu­ca­tion even if they did­n’t do well on stan­dard­ized tests. As stu­dents pur­sue their degree online, they learn about the forces that shaped mod­ern life while man­ag­ing their homes, fam­i­lies and careers with­out miss­ing a beat.

This for-prof­it uni­ver­si­ty enrolls more than 28,000 under­grad­u­ate stu­dents and accepts every­one who applies. Pop­u­lar majors include ear­ly child­hood edu­ca­tion, busi­ness in psy­chol­o­gy. In a com­plex world, Ash­ford Uni­ver­si­ty believes in sim­pli­fy­ing the edu­ca­tion­al process to help stu­dents con­cen­trate on their stud­ies when it’s con­ve­nient for them.

High­light: 80% of stu­dents get finan­cial aid, mak­ing it pos­si­ble for more peo­ple to get their bach­e­lors degree than ever before.
Degree: BA in History

14. Southern New Hampshire University

As one of the best online his­to­ry degrees in New Eng­land, South­ern New Hamp­shire Uni­ver­si­ty’s BA in his­to­ry lays the foun­da­tion for those who want to under­stand both ancient civ­i­liza­tions and the mod­ern world. Stu­dents can design their course of study from the range of human his­to­ry. Spe­cial­iza­tions include African Amer­i­can his­to­ry, ancient civ­i­liza­tions and pol­i­tics. This flex­i­ble pro­gram adapts to stu­dents’ inter­ests and skills.

South­ern New Hamp­shire Uni­ver­si­ty has more than 80,000 stu­dents who study online. A small­er cam­pus enrolls 3,000 under­grad­u­ate stu­dents. A net­work of alum­ni makes this fast-grow­ing uni­ver­si­ty a valu­able net­work­ing resource for those who graduate.

High­light: SNHU is ranked num­ber five among the best col­leges in New Hamp­shire.
Degree: B.A. in History

South­ern New Hamp­shire Uni­ver­si­ty BA in History

15. Ottawa University

Ottawa Uni­ver­si­ty’s BA in his­to­ry is anoth­er one of the best online his­to­ry degrees that stu­dents can con­sid­er. Stu­dents explore the impact of his­tor­i­cal events and syn­the­size mod­ern issues based on prin­ci­ples of the past that have shaped our world. Both nation­al and inter­na­tion­al spheres are cov­ered in this pro­gram. Stu­dents study Amer­i­can gov­ern­ment, wom­en’s his­to­ry, glob­al issues and a vari­ety of oth­er spe­cial­iza­tions. Those who have fam­i­lies or jobs who wish to pur­sue their degree in his­to­ry can do so from the com­fort of their own home. This flex­i­bil­i­ty is one of the key fac­tors that help many stu­dents com­plete their studies.

This pri­vate Chris­t­ian school enrolls just 671 under­grad­u­ate stu­dents. enroll­ment is some­what com­pet­i­tive at this Ottawa, Kansas-based uni­ver­si­ty. 78% of stu­dents who apply receive an accep­tance let­ter and can choose from numer­ous majors. The most pop­u­lar majors include exer­cise sci­ence, busi­ness and biol­o­gy. The uni­ver­si­ty grad­u­ates just under half of the stu­dents who begin their edu­ca­tion here.

High­light: 100% of stu­dents who attend Ottawa Uni­ver­si­ty receive some form of finan­cial aid. This makes it pos­si­ble for more peo­ple to earn their degree while work­ing or car­ing for their fam­i­lies.
Degree: B.A. in History

Ottawa Uni­ver­si­ty BA in History

Why Should I Get My History Degree Online?

Online his­to­ry degrees are avail­able that will open doors in a vari­ety of career choic­es. For grad­u­ates inter­est­ed in careers that involve edu­ca­tion, library or muse­um posi­tions, or any oth­er posi­tion in which the study of his­to­ry is used, there are mul­ti­ple avenues for them to pursue.

Earn­ing an online Bach­e­lor’s degree in his­to­ry is a good way to get the knowl­edge and skills you need to become a valu­able edu­ca­tor. As a teacher, you can find work in both pub­lic and pri­vate pri­ma­ry and sec­ondary schools. Some grad­u­ates choose a spe­cif­ic peri­od of time in his­to­ry to focus their stud­ies. This allows them to do research and explore the top­ic at a much deep­er lev­el than if they had only stud­ied gen­er­al history.

Anoth­er ben­e­fit of earn­ing online his­to­ry degrees is that you are able to under­stand the events that have tak­en place in the past and that are now mold­ing our future. This infor­ma­tion can be ben­e­fi­cial when study­ing cer­tain laws or legal issues that have now become out­dat­ed or obso­lete. His­to­ry is more than just learn­ing about past events. It involves learn­ing why spe­cif­ic events occurred and what steps can be tak­en to build a bet­ter future by learn­ing from past mistakes.

How Do I Choose an Online History Degree?

If you know what your future career goals are, then choos­ing one of the best online his­to­ry degree pro­grams will be much eas­i­er. An accred­it­ed online his­to­ry degree pro­gram is designed to meet the stan­dards of accred­i­ta­tion that have been put in place to set the bar for a spe­cif­ic lev­el of edu­ca­tion. Cer­tain col­leges and uni­ver­si­ties are well-known for their his­to­ry pro­grams. One of the best ways to choose an online his­to­ry degree pro­gram is to choose the type of his­to­ry you want to study first and then look for the schools that offer that spe­cif­ic program.

Afford­abil­i­ty is anoth­er fac­tor in choos­ing the best online his­to­ry degree pro­grams. Know­ing how much you can afford should be one of your first con­sid­er­a­tions. In terms of afford­abil­i­ty, you should also know what types of schol­ar­ships and grants are avail­able to help you cov­er the cost of your edu­ca­tion. While stu­dent loans are avail­able, you will need to con­sid­er the long term ram­i­fi­ca­tions of going into debt for such a long peri­od of time. Afford­able his­to­ry degree pro­grams can be found online and at many com­mu­ni­ty col­leges and schools.

How Do I Become a Historian?

Once you find out how to become a his­to­ri­an, the rest will be up to you. If you have an oppor­tu­ni­ty to work in a library or muse­um pri­or to earn­ing your degree, take it! This will give you much-need­ed expe­ri­ence when it comes to under­stand­ing how these two types of orga­ni­za­tions work. It also allows you to get an inside look at the type of edu­ca­tion you will need to move for­ward in your career. Find­ing an online his­to­ry degree pro­gram that is accred­it­ed is the best way to start your edu­ca­tion. This ensures that what­ev­er degree pro­gram you choose to enroll in will pro­vide you with an edu­ca­tion that meets indus­try standards.

Enrolling in an accred­it­ed online his­to­ry degree pro­gram is one of the best ways to start your career as a his­to­ri­an. While work­ing in a muse­um or library is ben­e­fi­cial, it will not give you the lev­el of knowl­edge you need to be con­sid­ered an expert in your field. A Bach­e­lor’s or Mas­ter’s degree pro­gram is the best way to prove you have achieved a lev­el of knowl­edge that will be use­ful in your career. Once you have earned your degree, you can begin to pur­sue oppor­tu­ni­ties as an edu­ca­tor, an ana­lyst, or many oth­er careers where the use of his­to­ry plays a vital role. Hav­ing a pas­sion for his­to­ry and learn­ing about the past will open many doors of oppor­tu­ni­ty for you if you are inter­est­ed in work­ing in a muse­um, library, or university.

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