Best Online History Bachelor’s Programs

An online history degree can take you back in time to explore world-changing events, themes, and people. You’ll learn to view history through a cultural perspective while examining various effects and contexts. Depending on the program, you can specialize in the geographic areas or periods that interest you the most.

An undergraduate degree in history prepares you for many career paths. You can work an entry-level history-related position, attend graduate school, or pursue an interdisciplinary career. To help get you started, this guide offers some of the benefits of an online history degree, followed by our rankings of the best online programs in the field.

When pursuing an online history degree, you should always check for accreditation.Institutional accreditation provides quality assurance for your degree and ensures you’ll have access to federal financial aid.

Online history degree programs don’t typically have programmatic accreditation. In fact, the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation do not recognize any accrediting organizations in the history discipline. As long as your bachelor’s program is offered by an accredited institution, it will be considered legitimate by employers and other schools.

The courses you take for an online history degree can vary depending on your areas of interest.

Bachelor’s programs in history typically require you to study many cultures and eras, using tools from fields like sociology, anthropology, political science, gender studies, and economics to examine the impacts of and relationships between different historical events.

You’ll likely take multiple classes on U.S. history, though often you can customize your coursework to focus on a specific geographic area and/or period.

Many schools offer a huge swath of history courses. Here are some common classes you might take for your online history degree:

According to 2020 data from the NCES’ National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, the average annual cost of a campus-based bachelor’s in history program is around $33,640, which amounts to roughly $135,000 after four years. In contrast, the average annual cost of an online history degree is $24,912, which averages out to just under $100,000 after four years.

Regardless of the learning format, students can lower degree expenses by applying for financial aid. Many schools and organizations offer merit-based and need-based scholarships. Students often combine these with federal financial aid programs like loans and grants.

Learners can also apply for work-study or assistantship programs to help cover tuition. These typically occur at the school, making them ideal for hybrid or on-campus students.

As of 2022, nearly 1.3 million working professionals hold a history degree, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

A bachelor’s in history can prepare you for entry-level museum, teaching, business, and writing positions. A history degree also provides you with essential soft skills, such as communication, critical thinking, and cultural awareness. This foundation should allow you to explore many non-history-related careers.

Review potential positions for history major graduates in the chart below. The listed careers often focus on history themes but may expand into other fields.

A history degree often provides the foundation for diverse careers. Among all professionals with bachelor’s degrees in history, 52% also hold graduate or professional degrees.

Some choose to specialize their careers with master’s degrees in niche historical topics, such as environmental or European history. These degrees can lead to jobs as museum curators, archivists, historians, and community college professors. A Ph.D. in history can qualify graduates to teach at four-year universities.

Others pursue master’s degrees in library and information science to become research specialists or librarians. A master’s in anthropology or archeology may also complement an undergraduate history degree and prepare graduates for field or museum positions.

History majors can use their soft skills and historical studies to enter legal or political industries. Popular graduate programs include master’s in political science and juris doctor degrees.

The following table includes several history-related and non-history-related career options that require advanced degrees.

Yes — many schools let you earn a history degree online. History programs work well in an online learning environment because these degrees don’t require fieldwork and practicums. Instead, history degrees emphasize research and theoretical components, which students can learn and discuss without being in a traditional classroom setting.

According to the BLS, the median salary for working professionals who hold bachelor’s degrees in history — including those who hold advanced degrees in other subjects — is $65,000. Your pay varies greatly depending on your field, position, years of experience, and credentials beyond your bachelor’s degree. Entry-level positions, like museum technicians, average $48,650, while some advanced careers average well over $100,000.

Bachelor’s degrees in history typically require 120 credits and take about four years of full-time study. However, the exact length depends on the program, credit load, and how many credits students can transfer.

A bachelor’s in history can be worthwhile, depending on your budget and professional goals. It helps prepare you for history-related positions, like museum technician or research assistant. A history degree can also develop your analysis and writing skills, which transfer to other fields and careers.

Like any degree, a bachelor’s in history can present challenges. Classes often include extensive reading and writing assignments. However, students passionate about history often find it worthwhile. Developing soft skills in analysis, critical thinking, and research can help learners excel.