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The best online bachelor’s in history comes from Oregon State University, by our scoring, and the race behind it is tight: Florida International, Mississippi State, and Southern New Hampshire finish within a couple of points of one another. We reached that answer by evaluating 91 online history programs against federal data and each school’s own published pages, then hand-verifying tuition for every finalist, and nine of the 15 ranked programs below come from R1 research universities. These are real institutions, not diploma mills. If you want to know what the degree itself involves, our bachelor’s in history guide covers that, and our history degrees guide weighs whether the degree pays off.
Key Facts
- Oregon State takes our #1 spot, with the next three schools packed close enough to compare as a group.
- Completion doesn’t follow price here: the best grad-and-transfer rate in our ranking belongs to the University of Arizona, at 92%.
- Our directory tracks 132 fully online history bachelor’s programs at 111 schools in 42 states, and every one of them is listed at the end of this guide.
How Our Rankings Work
Five weighted factors produced every score:
- Program Substance: 30%. History degrees conferred each year, a real capstone or thesis, and named concentrations.
- Completion: 20%. The federal 8-year Outcome Measures rate.
- Affordability: 20%. The online or out-of-state per-credit rate.
- Reputation: 20%. Carnegie research classification.
- Transparency: 10%. Whether the program discloses format, campus visits, start dates, and transfer policy.
Tuition was hand-verified in July 2026 against each school’s published pages. The full methodology, including what these numbers can and can’t tell you, sits below the profiles.
15 Best Online Bachelor’s in History (2026–2027)
| Rank | School | Program | Score | Cost/credit | Grad + transfer rate (8-yr)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon State University | B.A. in History | 70.6 | $409 | 87% |
| 2 | Florida International University | B.A. in History | 67.9 | $690 | 85% |
| 3 | Mississippi State University | B.A. in History | 67.1 | $452 | 89% |
| 4 | Southern New Hampshire University | B.A. in History | 66.3 | $354 | 59% |
| 5 | University of Arizona | B.A. in History | 63.8 | $525 | 92% |
| 6 | University of Kansas | B.A. in History | 63.4 | $495 | 91% |
| 7 | Arizona State University | B.A. in History | 61.2 | $580 | 70% |
| 8 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | B.A. in History | 60.3 | $420 | 83% |
| 9 | University of Central Florida | B.A. in History | 60.2 | $769 | 85% |
| 10 | Utah State University | B.A. or B.S. in History | 59.6 | $419 | 77% |
| 11 | Washington State University | B.A. in History | 58.9 | $689 | 84% |
| 12 | California State University, East Bay | B.A. in History | 58.0 | $790 | 86% |
| 13 | University of North Alabama | B.A. or B.S. in History | 57.2 | $350 | 78% |
| 14 | Liberty University | B.A. or B.S. in History | 55.9 | $410 | 51% |
| 15 | UMass Dartmouth | B.A. in History | 55.4 | $370 | 81% |
Grad + transfer rate is the share of the school’s students who graduated or transferred to continue their education within eight years (federal Outcome Measures, institution-wide). Tuition is the published online or out-of-state per-credit rate as of July 2026, fees excluded. Scores cluster tightly; nearby ranks are effectively tied.
1 Oregon State University
Overview | Bachelor’s in History
- Availability: 100% Online
- Program Focus: Broad historical study through OSU’s School of History, Philosophy and Religion
- Estimated Total Cost: $49,080 (est., tuition only)
- Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
Program Summary
US News puts Oregon State’s online bachelor’s programs at #6 in the country, the highest badge in our top three, and the history degree gets the full Ecampus treatment behind it. This is an R1 university whose online arm publishes an actual delivery policy: courses are asynchronous, with no scheduled class meeting times. In a field where 75% of programs won’t even tell you how classes meet, OSU putting it in writing counts for something.
The degree lives in the School of History, Philosophy and Religion, and the numbers around it are quietly excellent: an 87% grad-and-transfer rate and alumni earnings that both sit fourth in this ranking. A few practicalities worth knowing:
- Four start terms a year, with one flat rate and no surcharge for out-of-state students.
- Transfer-friendly, with a catch: no stated credit cap, but at least 45 of your final 75 credits must be OSU’s.
- An online honors option adds a thesis experience for students who want a research credential.
The trade-off is focus. OSU names no formal concentrations inside the history BA, so students who want a badged specialty should compare SNHU at #4 below. Everyone else gets a strong generalist degree from a school that treats online delivery as a first-class product.
2 Florida International University
Overview | B.A. in History
- Availability: 100% Online
- Program Focus: U.S., Latin American, and global history; pathways in teacher certification, social science education, and pre-law
- Estimated Total Cost: $82,800 (est., tuition only)
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
Program Summary
FIU brings the biggest research-university profile to our top three, an R1 in Miami whose online history BA graduates 73 students a year. And one number here genuinely surprised us: FIU’s history alumni carry the lowest median federal debt of any program in this ranking, $17,250, with earnings four years out that sit among the top five.
The degree itself takes research training seriously. Every history major passes through a two-seminar spine, a junior seminar on how historians actually work and then the HIS 4935 Senior Seminar, and students with a 3.5 GPA in the major can trade coursework for a two-semester honors thesis. You can point the degree somewhere concrete too. FIU runs pathways into 6-12 teacher certification and pre-law eligibility, and its menu of undergraduate certificates reaches specialties you will not find in many online catalogs, Cuban Studies among them. This is a program that reflects its city.
Two things to know before you apply. Published start dates run twice a year, which is thinner than the monthly-start schools on this list. And at $690 a credit, this is the third-priciest program on our list, so the low-debt figure above says something about FIU’s aid packages. Florida residents get a different deal entirely at $235.57 a credit. US News ranks FIU’s online bachelor’s programs at #29 nationally, and the school posts an 85% grad-and-transfer rate.
3 Mississippi State University
Overview | B.A. in History
- Availability: 100% Online
- Program Focus: U.S., European, and world history, delivered asynchronously
- Estimated Total Cost: $54,240 (est., tuition only)
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
Program Summary
Mississippi State’s pricing policy fits in four words: in-state tuition for everyone. Every online student pays the same $452 a credit no matter where they live, plus a $25-per-credit support fee the school discloses up front, which is more candor than most tuition pages manage.
The program earns its spot on more than price structure. This is an R1 research university whose 89% grad-and-transfer rate is the third-best in our ranking, and its online page commits in writing to asynchronous delivery, no scheduled class times, built for people with jobs. Transfer students get a defined lane too: up to 62 hours of community college credit can come with you, which covers an entire associate degree.
A couple of specifics to plan around. The degree runs 124 credits, a bit longer than the standard 120, and entry points come only twice a year, fall and spring, where several schools on this list start monthly. Neither changes the fundamental picture: a flagship research university that publishes its rules, prices everyone equally, and finishes what it starts. Students comparing it against pricier R1s further down this list should notice how much of the same substance is here at $452.
4 Southern New Hampshire University
Overview | B.A. in History
- Availability: 100% Online
- Program Focus: General history with concentrations in American, European, Middle Eastern, and Military History
- Estimated Total Cost: $42,480 (est., tuition only)
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
Program Summary
Nobody teaches more online history majors than SNHU. Its BA graduates 315 students a year, the largest online history program in the country, and the machine built around them is genuinely impressive: six start dates a year, 8-week courses with no scheduled meeting times, up to 90 transfer credits accepted, and a $354 per-credit rate that’s second-cheapest in this ranking.
The concentration menu is the deepest here. American and European History cover the classic ground, and then SNHU goes where few online programs do, with dedicated Middle Eastern History and Military History tracks. A senior seminar caps the degree. For a working adult who wants to pick a lane and keep moving, the design is hard to beat.
Two numbers deserve context here. SNHU’s school-wide grad-and-transfer rate is 59%, second-lowest in our top 15, and median alumni debt is $31,683, the highest on this list. The fair way to read that: SNHU’s admissions process is one of the most welcoming in the country, and schools that open their doors that wide always post lower completion numbers than places that only admit sure things. Neither figure describes the history program itself, since federal data only tracks whole schools. What they really tell you is which questions to bring to an admissions counselor: how history students specifically tend to do, and what your own aid package would look like. Get those two answers and you’ll know more than any ranking can tell you.
5 University of Arizona
Overview | B.A. in History
- Availability: 100% Online
- Program Focus: General history ending in a senior capstone research essay
- Estimated Total Cost: $63,000 (est., tuition only)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Program Summary
No school on this list finishes what it starts like Arizona does. Within eight years, 92% of its students have either graduated or transferred onward, the single highest rate in our ranking, and a striking number for a large public university’s online arm. Whatever Arizona Online is doing to keep students moving, it works.
The degree behind that number is a straightforward, well-built history BA from an R1 university that US News ranks #15 nationally for online bachelor’s programs. It graduates 78 majors a year, so you’re joining a real cohort, and every student finishes through HIST 498, a senior capstone built around an original research essay. That’s the kind of culminating requirement we weight heavily, because writing a sustained argument from sources is the entire skill a history degree certifies.
What you won’t find are named concentrations. Arizona’s online history degree is a generalist’s program, and students wanting a badged specialty should look at UNCG below or SNHU’s four tracks. You’ll also pay for the completion machinery: $525 a credit sits in the pricier half of our list. For students whose main fear about online education is not finishing, Arizona’s numbers are the strongest answer available.
6 University of Kansas
Overview | B.A. in History
- Availability: 100% Online (degree completion)
- Program Focus: General history for students arriving with prior college credit
- Estimated Total Cost: $59,400 (est., tuition only)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Program Summary
Know this going in: KU’s online history BA is a degree-completion program. It exists for people who started college somewhere, collected credits, and want to finish at a flagship. First-time freshmen need a different door. For its actual audience, though, this program’s numbers are quietly spectacular.
Start with outcomes. KU history alumni earn a median of $58,936 four years after graduating, the second-highest earnings figure in our ranking, and the school’s 91% grad-and-transfer rate is also second-best here. An R1 flagship that finishes its students and sends them into strong salaries is precisely what a returning adult wants from the last stretch of a degree.
The format matches the mission. KU states plainly that courses are fully asynchronous with no required login times, runs them in 8-week sessions, and admits on a rolling basis, so a student who decides in March isn’t waiting for August. A capstone research experience closes the degree. There are no named concentrations, and at $495 a credit it’s mid-pack on price, but neither is the point. If you’re sitting on two years of old credits and wondering whether they can still become a flagship diploma, this is the program built to answer yes.
7 Arizona State University
Overview | B.A. in History
- Availability: 100% Online
- Program Focus: General history across 39 courses in 7.5-week blocks
- Estimated Total Cost: $69,600 (est., tuition only)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Program Summary
ASU Online is the model everyone else copies, and the history BA gets its full toolkit: six start dates a year, up to 90 transfer credits accepted, fully asynchronous courses, and a US News #6 ranking for the university’s online bachelor’s programs. The degree itself runs 39 classes in 7.5-week blocks, so you’re always deep in two subjects instead of skimming five, and it finishes with a capstone. History alumni here earn a median of $54,798 four years out, comfortably in the upper half of our list.
One number needs the same context we gave SNHU. ASU’s grad-and-transfer rate is 70%, third-lowest in our top 15, and it travels with the university’s famous open-access mission: ASU measures itself by whom it includes, not whom it excludes, and inclusive admissions always pull completion averages down. The figure covers ASU Online as a whole, not history majors. Bring it to an enrollment coach as a question about support services and you’ll learn more than the percentage can tell you.
At $580 a credit with no named concentrations, this is a generalist’s degree from a famous online brand. What you’re buying is the machinery: starts whenever you’re ready, credit for what you’ve done, and an R1 name.
8 University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Overview | B.A. in History
- Availability: 100% Online
- Program Focus: General history with an online Public History concentration
- Estimated Total Cost: $50,400 (est., tuition only)
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
Program Summary
If museums, archives, or historic sites are the goal, UNCG deserves your first look. It’s the only program in our top 15 offering an online Public History concentration, the applied track that trains people to do history for the public, and the specialty most directly connected to actual history jobs. Our public history guide explains that career lane; UNCG is where an online bachelor’s student can start driving in it.
The rest of the package is solidly built. UNCG is an R2 research university graduating 62 online history majors a year, with an 83% grad-and-transfer rate, and a mid-list sticker price of $420 a credit. North Carolinians should look twice: the state’s distance-education rate for residents runs less than half the standard online price, which makes UNCG one of the deepest in-state bargains we found anywhere.
The information gaps are the trade-off. Format, campus-visit policy, start dates, and transfer caps all go unstated on the program pages, so bring our vetting checklist below to an admissions conversation. The public-history angle is worth that phone call.
9 University of Central Florida
Overview | B.A. in History
- Availability: 100% Online
- Program Focus: General history with regional emphases from Asia and Africa to Latin America and North America
- Estimated Total Cost: $92,280 (est., tuition only)
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
Program Summary
UCF runs one of the largest and most decorated online operations in American higher education, and the history BA shows the machinery: US News ranks the university’s online bachelor’s programs #6 in the country, 152 history majors graduate annually, the third-largest output on this list, and three start terms a year keep the door open. The 85% grad-and-transfer rate holds up at that scale.
Flexibility is the academic story. Rather than fixed tracks, UCF lets students shape the degree by region, with coursework spanning Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, and North America, and ambitious students can step onto an accelerated path that starts banking master’s credit before the bachelor’s is done. For a specific-era obsessive, that geographic range is the draw.
Now the two-sided price. Out-of-state students pay $769 a credit, second-priciest in our ranking, and should weigh UCF against the cheaper R1s above. Florida residents see a different program entirely: $179.19 a credit, the lowest in-state rate we found while researching this entire field. Same courses, same diploma. If you live in Florida, UCF may be the single best deal on this page; if you don’t, look up-list first.
10 Utah State University
Overview | B.A. or B.S. in History
- Availability: 100% Online
- Program Focus: B.A. or B.S. in History, with a History Teaching emphasis
- Estimated Total Cost: $50,280 (est., tuition only)
- Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
Program Summary
Utah State gives online students choices most programs don’t offer, starting with the degree itself. Three decisions shape your path here:
- B.A. or B.S.: USU awards history both ways, fully online. The university doesn’t spell out the differences on its online pages, so ask an advisor which fits your general-education plan before enrolling.
- The History Teaching emphasis: a named track for future classroom teachers, the specialty that employs more history graduates than any other. Pair it with your state’s licensure requirements and the degree points straight at a job.
- Where you study: the same degree runs through USU Online and its statewide campus network, useful for Utahns who want occasional in-person options without changing programs.
The institution behind the choices is an R1 research university, ranked #17 by US News for online bachelor’s programs, at $419 a credit, sixth-cheapest in our ranking. That’s a strong name-to-price ratio. USU publishes less about start dates and transfer caps than we’d like, so put those on your questions list. For aspiring history teachers especially, the named emphasis plus the R1 diploma at a low-$400s rate makes this the most complete teaching package on the list.
11 Washington State University
Overview | Bachelor’s in History
- Availability: 100% Online
- Program Focus: General and Pre-Law options
- Estimated Total Cost: $82,680 (est., tuition only)
- Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
Program Summary
Future law students, this one was built with you in mind. WSU’s online history degree splits into two named options, General and Pre-Law, and the second is the only dedicated pre-law history track in our top 15. Law school is where a huge share of history majors eventually go; WSU is the rare online program that says so on the label and shapes the coursework accordingly.
The outcomes back up the ambition. WSU history alumni earn a median of $58,415 four years after graduation, third-highest in this ranking, which is the kind of number a pre-law pipeline produces. The university is an R1 land-grant whose Global Campus has run distance programs for decades, US News puts its online bachelor’s degrees at #11 nationally, and the degree closes with a required senior history seminar. Three start terms a year keep scheduling reasonable.
The costs are real: $689 a credit lands fourth-priciest here, and WSU publishes its Global Campus rates by semester, so translating to your situation takes arithmetic. A Pre-Law option with top-three earnings justifies a hard look anyway, especially next to our bachelor’s in history guide, which covers what the law-school route actually requires.
12 California State University, East Bay
Overview | B.A. in History
- Availability: 100% Online (or blended, your choice)
- Program Focus: Concentrations in Migration and Globalization, Sustainability and Modernization, and Social Justice and Citizenships
- Estimated Total Cost: $94,800 (est., tuition only)
- Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
Program Summary
$65,217. That’s the median our federal data shows East Bay’s history alumni earning four years after graduation, the highest figure in this entire ranking, and they carry the third-lowest debt here while doing it. We report earnings without ranking on them, since the data reflects the degree field and the Bay Area job market as much as the program. But a gap of more than $6,000 over the next-best school is hard to look away from.
The curriculum reads nothing like a standard history catalog. East Bay organizes its degree into three concentrations, Migration and Globalization, Sustainability and Modernization, and Social Justice and Citizenships, themes that treat history as a lens on the present, and every one can be completed fully online, in person, or mixed however your life demands. A History Research Capstone with an original research project closes the degree.
The price is the catch, and it’s the biggest one on this list: $790 a credit, our most expensive program. California students have cheaper CSU paths; out-of-state students are paying a premium for the earnings zip code and the most distinctive curriculum here. Depending on what you want history to do for you, that math can absolutely work. Just do it with open eyes.
13 University of North Alabama
Overview | B.A. or B.S. in History
- Availability: 100% Online
- Program Focus: General history, B.A. or B.S., ending in a senior thesis
- Estimated Total Cost: $42,000 (est., tuition only)
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
Program Summary
Only one program in our top 15 ends the way graduate school begins: with a true senior thesis. North Alabama’s history majors close the degree by writing HI 495, an original thesis, and then sit a standardized exit exam on top of it. That’s the most rigorous finish in this ranking, and it comes from the most affordable program on the list at $350 a credit, whose alumni also carry the second-lowest debt here. Rigor and thrift travel together in Florence, Alabama.
The degree comes as a B.A. or a B.S., both fully online, and the thesis requirement makes UNA a sleeper pick for one audience in particular: students who suspect a master’s or PhD is in their future and want a writing sample that proves they can sustain an argument. Our master’s in history guide explains why that thesis matters at the next level.
Be aware of what stays on campus. UNA’s Public History concentration runs only in traditional classrooms, so online students take the general track, and the program pages leave format and start dates unstated. An asking-questions school, then, like several here. But no other program at this price hands you a thesis, and for the grad-school-curious, that trade is easy.
14 Liberty University
Overview | B.A. or B.S. in History
- Availability: 100% Online
- Program Focus: General history, B.A. or B.S., in 8-week course blocks
- Estimated Total Cost: $49,200 (est., tuition only)
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
Program Summary
Liberty runs the second-largest online history program in this ranking, graduating 246 majors a year, and no school here offers more ways in: eight start dates annually, courses in 8-week blocks with no set login times, and transfer credit accepted for up to 75% of the degree. The history bachelor’s comes as a B.A. or a B.S., priced at $410 a credit, fifth-cheapest on our list.
Two facts belong in your decision. First, Liberty’s school-wide grad-and-transfer rate is 51%, the lowest in our top 15. The figure is institution-wide and pairs with open enrollment, and we report it as it stands; ask the history program directly about its own completion picture. Second, Liberty is a large private evangelical Christian university, and its courses and campus culture reflect that mission. For some students that’s the reason to enroll, and for others it’s the reason to look elsewhere. Either way, you should choose it knowingly.
On the mechanics alone, the machine is real: an accredited university with enormous online infrastructure, mid-list pricing, and the scheduling flexibility that working adults actually use. Weigh the numbers above against what you want from the experience, and you’ll place Liberty on your own list correctly.
15 University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
Overview | B.A. in History
- Availability: Online (most courses asynchronous, some scheduled)
- Program Focus: General history from the UMass system’s South Coast campus
- Estimated Total Cost: $44,400 (est., tuition only)
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
Program Summary
The third-cheapest program in our ranking carries a UMass diploma. At $370 a credit from an R2 public research university, Dartmouth undercuts every New England option we evaluated and most of the country’s, and it accepts up to 90 transfer credits, which is three-quarters of the degree arriving with you.
This is also the smallest program in our top 15. Nineteen history majors graduate a year, so nobody gets lost in a discussion board of two hundred, and the school posts a solid 81% grad-and-transfer rate behind them. One honesty note on format: UMass Dartmouth says most of its online courses run asynchronously, and most is the operative word, so a scheduled session can appear in your plan. Ask which courses before you build a work schedule around the degree.
The pitch writes itself for one reader in particular: a New England transfer student holding community college credits who wants a public university’s history BA without a commute to campus or a private university’s price. For that student, this is the quiet bargain of the list.
The Full Methodology
A ranking is a starting point, and we’d rather you treat ours that way. Choosing a history degree involves your budget, your interests, the careers you’re weighing, and the credits you’re carrying, and no formula can hold all of that for you. What we can do is show our work. Here’s exactly how each factor is calculated and why it carries the weight it does, so you can see where our judgment ends and yours should begin.
- Program substance, 30%. The heaviest weight goes to the history program itself: how many history degrees the school confers each year, whether the degree ends in a real capstone or thesis, and how many concentrations you can choose. A program that graduates three history majors a year on a generic curriculum is a different product from one graduating hundreds across four concentrations.
- Completion, 20%. Whether students actually finish. We use IPEDS Outcome Measures, which covers part-time and transfer students, the people online programs actually enroll. We rank on the strict 8-year graduation rate, so no school climbs just because its students leave. But the number we display is the graduation-plus-transfer rate, the share of students who either graduated or transferred to continue their education, because a student who transfers out has not dropped out.
- Affordability, 20%. The out-of-state or online per-credit rate, because that’s what a national online student actually pays. Cost matters in a field with modest starting salaries, but we capped its weight so cheap programs can’t coast to the top.
- Reputation, 20%. Institutional recognition, using Carnegie research classification. A known research university’s name travels with your diploma, so it earns real weight, just not enough to outrank substance.
- Transparency, 10%. Whether the program publicly discloses what an online student needs to decide. Most don’t, as the vetting section shows, and the ones that do earn credit for it.
Three things to know when reading our scores. Completion and reputation figures are institution-wide, because federal data doesn’t report them by major; any completion rate on this page describes the whole school, and never the history department specifically. We show earnings and debt in profiles where the data exists but rank on neither, since federal earnings data is missing for about half of online history programs, and ranking on it would just reward the biggest schools. And scores cluster tightly, so programs within a few points of each other are effectively tied. Treat neighboring ranks as a cluster worth comparing side by side.
How to Use These Rankings
Start from what you need, and the list reads differently:
- Finishing a degree you started? Kansas exists for exactly that, and UMass Dartmouth takes up to 90 transfer credits with it.
- Want a famous research-university name? Arizona, ASU, and the other R1s on the list carry the brand recognition; the diploma won’t say online.
- Shopping on price? North Alabama, SNHU, and UMass Dartmouth all sit under $400 a credit, and each comes from a real, accredited university.
- Chasing a specialty? UNCG has the only online public-history concentration here, SNHU the deepest track menu, and Utah State the named teaching emphasis.
- Thinking about grad school? North Alabama’s senior thesis is the strongest writing-sample builder in the ranking.
How Do You Do Historical Research Online?
This is the question skeptics ask, and it has a better answer now than it did a decade ago. The primary sources came to the internet. The National Archives runs a free online catalog with millions of digitized federal records, and the Library of Congress puts historic American newspapers online through Chronicling America, searchable by date and page. The Gilder Lehrman Institute has digitized its vast collection of American letters, diaries, and documents. Your school’s library portal adds JSTOR and the scholarly databases behind it.
So an online history major in Boise can read Civil War-era newspapers page by page at the kitchen table, which is more access than most historians had at any campus fifty years ago. The senior thesis still requires real archival digging. It just no longer requires an airplane.
How Online History Classes Work
The typical structure looks nothing like a semester on campus. Terms run short, with several start dates spread across the year, and there’s no single big fall intake. SNHU runs six terms a year on 8-week courses, and ASU Online packs its classes into 7.5 weeks. You usually take one or two courses at a time, year-round, instead of five at once.
Delivery is another story, and here the industry has a disclosure problem we’ll return to below: most program pages simply never say how classes meet. Where schools do state it, asynchronous is the norm, meaning no scheduled class times at all. Reading, discussion boards, and papers fit around a work schedule, which is the entire point.
Kansas shows what the rhythm looks like in practice. A KU online history student’s year runs roughly like this:
- Apply whenever you’re ready; admissions roll year-round instead of gatekeeping around a fall deadline.
- Take one or two courses per 8-week session, with everything asynchronous, so a night-shift worker and a 9-to-5er sit in the same class.
- Stack sessions back to back through the year, and two courses at a time quietly becomes full-time progress.
The details differ school to school, but that loop, short sessions, few courses at once, no fixed class times, is the shape of nearly every program on this list.
What an Online History Degree Costs
The most affordable program in our ranking is North Alabama, at $350 a credit and roughly $42,000 in tuition for the whole degree. From there, prices climb all the way to $790 a credit at Cal State East Bay, which means the same diploma line, a B.A. in History, can cost more than twice as much depending on where you enroll. History rewards shopping around.
Why the spread? Two pricing models are hiding under those sticker prices, and telling them apart matters more than any single number on this page. Some schools set one flat online rate for everyone: Mississippi State charges every online student its in-state price, and Oregon State adds no surcharge for out-of-state students. Others bill online students the non-resident rate, exactly as if you’d moved across the country to sit on their campus, and that’s what balloons a price like UCF’s, where Florida residents pay less than a quarter of what everyone else does. Before you compare two programs on cost, find out which model each one uses. A school that looks expensive on this list may be the cheapest option available to you in particular, and the reverse is just as true.
How to Vet an Online History Program
We read program pages for a living, and one pattern kept repeating across every batch we checked. Schools disclose price and hide almost everything else. Four checks before you apply, in order of what they won’t tell you:
- Campus-visit requirements: 85% of the programs we checked never say whether you’ll ever need to show up in person. Silence usually means no, but usually is not a plan. Ask admissions directly and get it in writing.
- Delivery format: 75% never state whether courses are asynchronous or meet live. If you’re working days, this single fact decides whether the degree is possible.
- Transfer policy: 74% publish no maximum transfer credits. If you’re bringing credits, and most online students are, ask for the evaluation before you enroll anywhere.
- Accreditation and library access: confirm the school holds regional accreditation, and check that online students get full access to the library’s research databases. A history degree without JSTOR is a book club.
Who These Programs Are Built for
Mostly, people with a life already in progress. The format serves working adults finishing a degree they started years ago, transfer students arriving with community-college credits, teachers and aspiring teachers adding subject depth, and military members and veterans who move too often for a campus. Some ranked programs are built explicitly as degree-completion pathways, meaning they expect you to arrive with prior credits; we label those in the profiles, because a first-time freshman needs to know before applying.
Online History Degree FAQ
Can You Do a History Degree Online?
Yes, fully and legitimately. History translates to online delivery better than most majors. The work is reading, writing, and research, with no labs or clinical hours to schedule, and our directory confirms fully online bachelor’s programs operating in the large majority of states.
Is There a Free Online History Degree?
No. Free history courses exist in abundance, from university open courseware to lecture archives, and they’re great for testing your interest. But an accredited degree carries instruction, assessment, and credentialing costs no institution gives away. If cost is the constraint, start with the three ranked programs priced under $400 a credit and work outward from there.
Why Isn’t [Big-Name School] on the List?
Usually one of three honest reasons. Some giants of online education, including Western Governors, Purdue Global, Thomas Edison State, and Charter Oak, simply don’t offer an online history bachelor’s. Some programs aren’t fully online; the University of Colorado Denver, for example, offers only its history minor online by its own page’s account. And some big names are ranked but land low: the University of Maryland Global Campus sits at #27 and Penn State World Campus at #29 in our full scoring, held down by factors like school-wide completion and, in Penn State’s case, one of the higher per-credit prices in our pool.
Do Employers Take an Online History Degree Seriously?
The diploma usually gives them no way to tell. Arizona State’s diploma, for example, doesn’t distinguish between online and campus completion, and that’s the norm among the ranked schools, which are established public and private universities, and their diplomas read the same for everyone. What matters to employers is the institution’s name and your work, same as it ever was.
Schools with Online Bachelor's in History Degrees
108 Schools Found
Alabama
University of North Alabama
Florence, Alabama
Online B.A. or B.S. in History
Alaska
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
Online B.A. in History
Arizona
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, Arizona
Online B.A. in History
Ottawa University-Surprise
Surprise, Arizona
Online Bachelor's in History
The University of Arizona Global Campus
Chandler, Arizona
Online Bachelor's in History
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Online B.A. in History
Arkansas
Central Baptist College
Conway, Arkansas
Online B.A. or B.S. in History
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas
Online B.A. in History
California
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, California
Online Bachelor's in Art History
California State University-East Bay
Hayward, California
California State University-San Marcos
San Marcos, California
Online B.A. in History
National University
La Jolla, California
Online B.A. in History
Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego, California
Online B.A. in History
Colorado
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Online B.A. in History
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
Denver, Colorado
Online Bachelor's in History
Florida
Florida International University
Miami, Florida
Online B.A. in History
The University of West Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Online B.A. in History
University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida
Georgia
University of North Georgia
Dahlonega, Georgia
Idaho
Boise State University
Boise, Idaho
Online Bachelor's in History
Illinois
University of Illinois at Springfield
Springfield, Illinois
Online B.A. in History
Western Illinois University
Macomb, Illinois
Online B.A. in History
Indiana
Indiana University Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana
Online B.A. in History
Indiana University-East
Richmond, Indiana
Online B.A. or B.S. in History
Indiana University-South Bend
South Bend, Indiana
Online Bachelor's in History
Indiana University-Southeast
New Albany, Indiana
Online B.A. in History
Kansas
Fort Hays State University
Hays, Kansas
Online Bachelor's in History
Ottawa University
Brookfield, Wisconsin | Ottawa, Kansas | Overland Park, Kansas
Online Bachelor's in History
Sterling College
Sterling, Kansas
Online Bachelor's in History
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Online B.A. in History
Kentucky
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky
Online B.A. in History
University of the Cumberlands
Williamsburg, Kentucky
Online Bachelor's in History
Louisiana
Louisiana State University-Alexandria
Alexandria, Louisiana
Online B.A. in History
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Online B.A. in History
McNeese State University
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Nicholls State University
Thibodaux, Louisiana
Online B.A. in History
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Online B.A. in History
University of Louisiana-Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana
Online B.A. in History
University of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
Online B.A. in History
Maine
University of Maine at Presque Isle
Presque Isle, Maine
Maryland
Mount St. Mary's University
Emmitsburg, Maryland
Online Bachelor's in History
St Mary's College of Maryland
St. Mary's City, Maryland
Online B.A. in History
University of Maryland-Global Campus
Adelphi, Maryland
Online Bachelor's in History
Massachusetts
Fitchburg State University
Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Online Bachelor's in History
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
North Dartmouth, Massachusetts
Online B.A. in History
Westfield State University
Westfield, Massachusetts
Online B.A. in History
Michigan
Madonna University
Livonia, Michigan
Online B.A. in History
Minnesota
Minnesota State University-Mankato
Mankato, Minnesota
Online B.S. in History
Southwest Minnesota State University
Marshall, Minnesota
Online B.A. in History
Mississippi
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, Mississippi
Online B.A. in History
Missouri
Columbia College
Columbia, Missouri
Online Bachelor's in History
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, Missouri
Online Bachelor's in Art History
Maryville University
Saint Louis, Missouri
Online B.A. in History
Park University
Parkville, Missouri
Online B.A. in History
University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, Missouri
Online B.A. in History
University of Missouri-St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri
Online Bachelor's in History
Nebraska
Bellevue University
Bellevue, Nebraska
Online Bachelor's in History
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Kearney, Nebraska
Online Bachelor's in History
New Hampshire
Granite State College
Concord, New Hampshire
Online B.A. in History
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, New Hampshire
New Jersey
Thomas Edison State University
Trenton, New Jersey
Online B.A. in History
William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, New Jersey
Online B.A. in History
New Mexico
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
Portales, New Mexico
Online B.A. or B.S. in History
New York
Excelsior College
Albany, New York
Online B.S. in History
SUNY at Albany
Albany, New York
Online B.A. in History
SUNY Empire State College
Saratoga Springs, New York
North Carolina
Campbell University
Buies Creek, North Carolina
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Online B.A. in History
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Greensboro, North Carolina
North Dakota
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Online Bachelor's in History
Ohio
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Mount Vernon, Ohio
Online Bachelor's in History
Ohio Christian University
Circleville, Ohio
Online B.A. in History
Youngstown State University
Youngstown, Ohio
Online B.A. in History
Oklahoma
Southern Nazarene University
Bethany, Oklahoma
Online B.A. in History
Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Weatherford, Oklahoma
Online B.A. in History
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus
Norman, Oklahoma
Oregon
Eastern Oregon University
La Grande, Oregon
Online Bachelor's in History
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon
Online Bachelor's in History
Pennsylvania
La Roche University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Online Bachelor's in History
La Salle University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Online B.A. in History
Pennsylvania State University-World Campus
University Park, Pennsylvania
Online Bachelor's in History
Rosemont College
Rosemont, Pennsylvania
Online Bachelor's in History
Thiel College
Greenville, Pennsylvania
Online Bachelor's in History
South Carolina
Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Online B.A. in History
Claflin University
Orangeburg, South Carolina
Online Bachelor's in History
Southern Wesleyan University
Central, South Carolina
South Dakota
Northern State University
Aberdeen, South Dakota
Online Bachelor's in History
Tennessee
King University
Bristol, Tennessee
Online B.A. in History
University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Online B.A. in History
Texas
Angelo State University
San Angelo, Texas
Online Bachelor's in History
Dallas Baptist University
Dallas, Texas
Online B.A. or B.S. in History
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, Texas
Online B.A. in History
Southwestern Assemblies of God University
Waxahachie, Texas
Online B.A. in History
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin
Odessa, Texas
Online B.A. in History
Utah
Southern Utah University
Cedar City, Utah
Online B.A. or B.S. in History
Utah State University
Logan, Utah
Vermont
Norwich University
Northfield, Vermont
Online Bachelor's in History
Virginia
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia
Online B.A. or B.S. in History
Mary Baldwin University
Staunton, Virginia
Online B.A. in History
Norfolk State University
Norfolk, Virginia
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia
Online B.A. in History
Regent University
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Online Bachelor's in History
Washington
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington
Online Bachelor's in History
West Virginia
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia
Marshall University
Huntington, West Virginia
Online B.A. in History
Wisconsin
Lakeland University
Plymouth, Wisconsin
Online B.A. in History
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin