History Degrees in Florida

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Pedro Menéndez de Avilés came ashore with about 600 settlers on September 8, 1565 and founded St. Augustine, which has been continuously occupied ever since. That makes it the oldest European-established settlement in the continental United States, standing 42 years before Jamestown and 55 before the Pilgrims reached Plymouth. Florida’s recorded colonial history starts a full generation before the story most American history survey courses open with. The state teaches that longer history at scale, and charges less for it than the quality would predict.

Florida has 27 colleges and universities offering history degrees, with 64 programs among them: 39 bachelor’s degrees, 19 master’s degrees, and 6 doctorates.

The state’s best history schools are also among its cheapest, which is not how this usually works.

Florida at a Glance

Schools offering history	27
History programs	64
Bachelor’s / master’s / doctoral	39 / 19 / 6
Online programs	5
Schools offering all three levels	4
Lowest in-state tuition and fees	$4,879 per year
Largest history catalog	Florida State University, 9 programs

Program counts come from our directory. Tuition figures are annual in-state tuition and fees from the U.S. Department of Education, and exclude room and board.

Top History Schools in Florida

We scored all 27 Florida schools on the four factors we use in every state: history degree offerings and program variety (40%), student outcomes (25%), reputation (20%), and affordability (15%). Florida State takes depth at 9 programs with Florida following at 6. Outcomes favor Florida at a 91% four-year completion rate and Florida State at 86%. Reputation does not separate anyone here, since all five schools below are R1 research universities. Neither does affordability, and that is the surprise, because every school on this list charges between $5,656 and $6,565 in state. Here are Florida’s best history degrees.

1 Florida State University

Florida State has the deepest catalog in the state at 9 programs and the widest range of entry points into the subject, including a B.A. in Ancient History that few American universities offer as a named degree. It holds doctorates in both history and art history, runs a public history master’s, and its art history side extends into museum and cultural heritage studies. At $5,656 it is also the second-cheapest history program in Florida.

History programs: 9
Levels offered: Bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral
Carnegie classification: R1, very high research activity
In-state tuition and fees: $5,656

2 University of Florida

Florida completes 91% of its students in four years, the best rate in this ranking, and it is the state’s museum studies school. It lists two separate museum studies master’s degrees, one in museology and one in museum studies proper, alongside an art history master’s. Its history doctorate is organized into named tracks in African, European, Latin American, and United States history.

History programs: 6
Levels offered: Bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral
Carnegie classification: R1, very high research activity
In-state tuition and fees: $6,381

3 University of South Florida

South Florida runs the cleanest matched structure in the state, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in both history and art history topped by a history doctorate. There is no applied or regional specialization attached, which makes it the straightforward research option among Florida’s five.

History programs: 5
Levels offered: Bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral
Carnegie classification: R1, very high research activity
In-state tuition and fees: $6,410

4 Florida International University

FIU’s doctorate is a Ph.D. in Atlantic History, which frames the field around the ocean and the slave trade, migration, and empire that crossed it rather than around a single nation. Given Miami’s position that is a coherent choice instead of a novelty. FIU also runs 2 of Florida’s 5 online history programs and offers a public history option inside its master’s.

History programs: 5
Levels offered: Bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral
Carnegie classification: R1, very high research activity
In-state tuition and fees: $6,565

5 University of Central Florida

Central Florida stops at the master’s, which is what keeps it fifth, but it carries a public history M.A. and one online program. It is also where the Florida Historical Quarterly has been edited since 1995, in partnership with the state historical society, so the department sits at the center of Florida history scholarship despite the shorter degree ladder.

History programs: 3
Levels offered: Bachelor’s, master’s
Carnegie classification: R1, very high research activity
In-state tuition and fees: $6,368

All five of these schools are public R1 research universities, and all five also appear on the affordability list below.

Most Affordable History Degrees in Florida

Most affordable history degrees in Florida
Rank	School	Program	Tuition per year
1	Florida Atlantic University	B.A. in History	$4,879
2	Florida State University	B.A. in Ancient History	$5,656
3	Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University	Bachelor's in History	$5,785
4	Florida Gulf Coast University	B.A. in History	$6,118
5	University of West Florida	B.A. in History	$6,360
6	University of Central Florida	B.A. in History	$6,368
7	University of Florida	Bachelor's in History	$6,381
8	University of North Florida	B.A. in History	$6,389
9	University of South Florida	Bachelor's in History	$6,410
10	Florida International University	B.A. in History	$6,565

Annual in-state tuition and fees. Every school here is public, and the entire list falls between $4,879 and $6,565. All but Florida A&M offer history at the master’s level as well as the bachelor’s.

History Education in Florida

Florida inverts the pattern most large states follow. In California the ranked research universities are the expensive ones and the affordable campuses sit in a different system entirely. In Florida the two lists are the same list. All five of our top-ranked schools appear among the ten most affordable in the state, and the whole affordability list runs from $4,879 to $6,565. A student choosing the strongest history department in Florida is not paying a premium to do it.

That is a function of how the state is organized. Ten public universities carry 38 of Florida’s 63 history programs, and every doctorate in the state sits inside that group. The 17 private colleges carry 25 programs between them, mostly at the bachelor’s level. Only four schools offer history at all three levels: Florida State, Florida, South Florida, and Florida International.

Applied history is Florida’s real specialization. Six of the state’s programs are museum studies, a total behind only New York and level with California, and another six are public history. Together that is 12 of 63 programs pointed at museums, archives, historic sites, and heritage work rather than at the professoriate. Florida State’s art history master’s reaches into museum and cultural heritage studies, Florida lists two museum studies master’s degrees, and Central Florida and Florida International both run public history options.

Transfer is protected in three separate layers here. The Statewide Course Numbering System gives public institutions and participating private ones a shared course numbering scheme, so a course transfers automatically when the receiving school offers the same course under the same number. The 2+2 articulation agreement means an Associate in Arts from any of the 28 Florida College System state colleges guarantees admission to one of the 12 State University System universities, though not necessarily the one you most want. And the 36-credit general education core is guaranteed to transfer and satisfy core requirements on arrival. Details are with the Florida Department of Education.

Online provision is modest. Our directory lists 5 online history programs, 3 at the bachelor’s level and 2 at the master’s, with Florida International running two of them. Our guide to online history degrees covers the wider field.

Becoming a History Teacher in Florida

Florida certifies the field as a whole. The credential is Social Science 6-12, so it covers geography, economics, and political science alongside history, not history by itself.

The subject area exam is the FTCE Social Science 6-12, test code 037. It runs roughly 80 multiple-choice questions with a passing scaled score of 200.

The competency breakdown is the part worth planning around. The exam covers six competencies: geography, economics, political science, world history, U.S. history, and social science methodology. Only two of the six are history. A history major arrives well prepared for a third of the test and needs to study deliberately for the rest, particularly economics and political science, which many history degrees never require.

Confirm current requirements with the Florida Department of Education before choosing a program.

History Careers in Florida

History Careers in Florida
Occupation	Florida jobs	Florida median	vs. U.S. median
Secondary school teachers	49,810	$60,410	-16%
Postsecondary history teachers	320	$70,880	-15%
Curators	420	$59,500	-6%
Archivists	100	$52,100	-19%
Historians	110	$74,740	-3%

Employment and wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

Florida pays below the national median in every occupation on this list. Historians come closest at 3% below, and archivists trail furthest at 19% below. Secondary school teaching, which is where the overwhelming majority of the jobs are, runs 16% under national across 49,810 positions.

Curators are the interesting line. Florida supports 420 curator positions at 6% below national, which is a larger number than most states carry and the smallest wage gap in the table apart from historians. That is consistent with the state’s heavy museum studies provision: Florida trains for museum work because Florida has museum work.

The honest summary is that Florida is an inexpensive place to earn the degree and a below-average place to be paid for it. For students staying in state, the low tuition is doing more of the work in that calculation than the salaries are.

History Resources in Florida

Florida Historical Society, Cocoa. Founded in St. Augustine in 1856 and reorganized in 1902, it is the only statewide historical society in Florida and one of the oldest in the country. It publishes the Florida Historical Quarterly in partnership with the University of Central Florida’s history department, an arrangement running since 1995.
State Archives of Florida, Tallahassee. The official repository for state public records, holding local government records, private manuscripts, and photographic collections alongside the official material.
Museum of Florida History, Tallahassee. Closed since 2022 and not expected to reopen before 2028. The plaza above the museum has been leaking and the R.A. Gray Building needs structural repair along with new wiring and lighting. Current plans point to the prehistoric galleries returning in 2028 and the rest in 2029. In the meantime the Division of Historical Resources runs a Museum on the Move program with temporary exhibits at other venues, including the Capitol and Mission San Luis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where Can You Study History in Florida?

Florida has 63 history programs at 27 colleges and universities. Florida State has the largest catalog at 9 programs, followed by the University of Florida at 6. Four schools carry history at every level: Florida State, Florida, South Florida, and Florida International.

Which Florida University Has the Best History Program?

Florida State ranks first in our scoring, with the University of Florida second. Florida State has the widest range, including a B.A. in Ancient History and doctorates in both history and art history, while Florida posts the highest completion rate in the state and holds two museum studies master’s degrees. Both are inexpensive by national standards.

What Is the Cheapest History Degree in Florida?

Florida Atlantic University at $4,879 a year in tuition and fees, which covers a bachelor’s and a master’s. Florida is an inexpensive state for the subject generally: the ten most affordable schools are all public and all fall between $4,879 and $6,565.

Is Florida a Good State for Museum Studies?

Yes, and it is a genuine strength rather than a marketing line. Florida has 6 museum studies programs, a total behind only New York and level with California, plus 6 public history programs. The University of Florida lists two museum studies master’s degrees on its own, and Florida State’s art history master’s reaches into museum and cultural heritage studies.

Can You Get a History Degree Online in Florida?

Yes, though the choice is narrow. Our directory lists 5 online history programs, 3 at the bachelor’s level and 2 at the master’s. Florida International runs two of them, and the University of Central Florida runs one.

How Do You Become a History Teacher in Florida?

You need a Social Science 6-12 certificate, which covers history alongside geography, economics, and political science. The subject area exam is the FTCE Social Science 6-12, test code 037, with a passing scaled score of 200. Note that only two of its six competencies are history, so plan to prepare for the economics and political science content separately. Requirements are published by the Florida Department of Education.