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The Russo-Japanese War ended in New Hampshire. Japan could not afford to keep fighting and asked Theodore Roosevelt to mediate, and on September 5, 1905 the Japanese and Russian delegations signed the Treaty of Portsmouth at the naval shipyard there. Roosevelt collected the Nobel Peace Prize the following year, the first American ever to get one. A war fought across Manchuria was settled in a small New England port town, which is a reasonable reminder that where things happen is often stranger than the summary version suggests. Where you study it in New Hampshire is a little unexpected too. Much of the teaching happens at a distance.
New Hampshire has 11 colleges and universities offering history degrees, with 23 programs among them: 15 bachelor’s degrees, 7 master’s degrees, and 1 doctorate.
Nine of them are delivered online. Only Arizona has a higher share.
New Hampshire at a Glance
| Schools offering history | 11 |
| History programs | 23 |
| Bachelor’s / master’s / doctoral | 15 / 7 / 1 |
| Online programs | 9 |
| Schools offering all three levels | 1 |
| Lowest in-state tuition and fees | $7,724 per year |
| Largest history catalog | Southern New Hampshire University, 8 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 New Hampshire
Only eleven schools in New Hampshire offer history, so we publish the top three instead of a longer list. Our scoring uses the same four factors as every state we cover: history degree offerings and program variety (40%), student outcomes (25%), reputation (20%), and affordability (15%). Southern New Hampshire takes depth outright with 8 programs to UNH’s 4. On outcomes UNH completes 76% of students in four years against Keene State’s 60%. Reputation rests on UNH, the state’s only R1 department. Affordability separates Keene State at $14,784 from UNH at $19,202. Here are New Hampshire’s best history degrees.
1 University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
UNH is the only school in the state teaching history at all three levels and the only one holding a doctorate. Its M.A. in History with Museum Studies is the state’s museum credential, sitting alongside a general history master’s, a bachelor’s, and the Ph.D. At $19,202 it is also the most expensive public institution in New Hampshire.
- History programs: 4
- Levels offered: Bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral
- Carnegie classification: R1, very high research activity
- In-state tuition and fees: $19,202
2 Southern New Hampshire University
Southern New Hampshire has the largest catalog in the state at 8 programs, and every one of them is online. More than that, they are specific: bachelor’s tracks in American, European, military, and Middle Eastern history alongside a general degree, then master’s tracks in American history, military history, and public history. That is four named undergraduate concentrations and three named master’s tracks, all at a distance, which is more structure than most campus-based departments offer.
- History programs: 8
- Levels offered: Bachelor’s, master’s
- Carnegie classification: Master’s university, larger programs
- In-state tuition and fees: $17,200
3 Keene State College
Keene State runs a history bachelor’s and an M.A. in History and Archives, putting archival training into the degree title itself, which very few institutions do. At $14,784 it is the least expensive route to a history master’s in the state.
- History programs: 2
- Levels offered: Bachelor’s, master’s
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college, diverse fields
- In-state tuition and fees: $14,784
One school worth naming outside the ranking: Dartmouth College is an R1 research university, but our directory records a single history program there, so it does not reach a top three scored on breadth as heavily as ours is.
Most Affordable History Degrees in New Hampshire
| Rank | School | Program | Tuition per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies Online | B.A. in History | $7,724 |
| 2 | Plymouth State University | B.S. in History and Social Studies Education | $14,626 |
| 3 | Keene State College | B.A. in History | $14,784 |
| 4 | Southern New Hampshire University | Bachelor's in History | $17,200 |
| 5 | Colby-Sawyer College | Bachelor's in History and Political Studies | $19,125 |
| 6 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | B.A. in History | $19,202 |
| 7 | Rivier University | B.A. in History | $39,488 |
| 8 | New England College | B.A. in History | $41,938 |
| 9 | Franklin Pierce University | Bachelor's in History | $46,442 |
| 10 | Saint Anselm College | Bachelor's in History | $48,920 |
Annual in-state tuition and fees. The cheapest option in New Hampshire is an online one: UNH’s College of Professional Studies Online at $7,724, less than half what any other public institution in the state charges.
History Education in New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a distance-learning state, and that is the most useful thing to know about it. Nine of its 23 history programs are online, about 39%, the second-highest proportion in the country behind Arizona.
Almost all of that is one institution. Southern New Hampshire University runs 8 of the 9, and all eight of its own programs are online. What makes it worth attention is not the delivery but the structure: four named bachelor’s concentrations covering American, European, military, and Middle Eastern history, and three named master’s tracks in American, military, and public history. Distance programs are usually generalist, and this one is not.
The cheapest history degree in the state is also online. The University of New Hampshire’s College of Professional Studies Online charges $7,724, against $14,626 at Plymouth State and $19,202 at UNH’s main campus. A student in New Hampshire weighing price above all else is being pointed toward remote study by the numbers.
On-campus provision is narrow by comparison. UNH is the only institution in the state teaching history at all three levels and the only one with a doctorate, and its M.A. in History with Museum Studies is the state’s single museum credential. Keene State’s M.A. in History and Archives is the other distinctive graduate degree, and naming archives in the title is rare enough to be worth seeking out if that is the intended career.
Private colleges carry more of the field than public ones, seven institutions running 15 programs against four publics running 8, and the private end of the cost list is steep: four colleges from $39,488 to $48,920, against a public option at $7,724.
Transfer runs through NH Transfer, with more than 100 pre-approved pathways mapping community college associate degrees onto bachelor’s programs in the university system. The wording matters: these are pre-approved and predictable pathways among participating institutions, not a statutory guarantee of the kind Arizona or Florida provide, so confirm your specific pathway with the receiving school. Details are at NH Transfer.
Becoming a History Teacher in New Hampshire
New Hampshire requires the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators and the relevant Praxis Subject Assessment for your certification area, with secondary social studies covering grades 7 through 12.
The specific subject assessment attached to social studies is revised periodically, and New Hampshire publishes its accepted tests through the Department of Education, so check the current list there rather than relying on a guide.
The pay picture, unusually, rewards staying: New Hampshire’s secondary school teachers earn 7% above the national median, and the state’s postsecondary and curatorial salaries are among the strongest in the country, as the table below shows.
Confirm current requirements with the New Hampshire Department of Education before choosing a program.
History Careers in New Hampshire
| Occupation | New Hampshire jobs | New Hampshire median | vs. U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary school teachers | 5,860 | $77,060 | +7% |
| Postsecondary history teachers | 100 | $106,880 | +28% |
| Curators | 60 | $82,490 | +30% |
| Archivists | 50 | $61,410 | -5% |
| Historians | not published | not published | n/a |
Employment and wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025. New Hampshire’s figures for historians were withheld entirely, both the employment count and the wage.
For a small state, New Hampshire pays remarkably well.
Curators earn $82,490, which is 30% above the national median. Only Washington DC pays curators better.
Postsecondary history teachers earn $106,880, 28% above national. Only California pays that role better.
Both of those sit on very small counts, 60 curator jobs and 100 postsecondary teaching posts, so they describe well-paid work, not abundant work. The realistic reading is that these are competitive positions worth having instead of markets a graduating class can be absorbed into.
Secondary school teaching is the broad market and it pays 7% above national across 5,860 positions. Archivists are the only occupation below the rate, at 5% under on 50 jobs, which is a modest gap.
Set against the state’s cheapest degree at $7,724 and its most expensive public option at $19,202, the New Hampshire calculation works at both ends for anyone heading into teaching, and genuinely strong for anyone who lands one of the small number of curatorial or faculty roles.
History Resources in New Hampshire
- New Hampshire Historical Society, Concord. Unlike most state historical societies covered on this site, it is an independent nonprofit, not a government agency, which affects how it is funded and what it collects. Its 1911 headquarters on Park Street in Concord is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- New Hampshire State Archives, also in Concord, under the Secretary of State. This is where state government records live, so the two institutions divide the work: one holds the public record, the other the collected and donated material.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where Can You Study History in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire has 23 history programs spread across 11 colleges and universities. Southern New Hampshire University has the largest catalog at 8, all online, and the University of New Hampshire has 4 and is the only school in the state teaching history at all three levels.
Can You Get a History Degree Online in New Hampshire?
Yes, and it is the state’s clear strength. Nine of New Hampshire’s 23 programs are online, about 39%, the second-highest share in the country. Southern New Hampshire University runs 8 of those 9, with named tracks in American, European, military, and Middle Eastern history at bachelor’s level and American, military, and public history at master’s level.
What Is the Cheapest History Degree in New Hampshire?
The University of New Hampshire’s College of Professional Studies Online at $7,724 a year, which is less than half what any other public institution in the state charges. Plymouth State is next at $14,626 and Keene State at $14,784.
Which New Hampshire University Has the Best History Program?
UNH ranks first, holding the state’s only history doctorate, its only three-level department, and its only museum studies master’s. Southern New Hampshire ranks second on breadth, with eight programs, though all are delivered online. Keene State is third and offers an M.A. in History and Archives.
What Do History Careers Pay in New Hampshire?
Well, on small numbers. Curators earn 30% above the national median, a figure only Washington DC beats. Postsecondary history teachers earn 28% above, beaten only by California. Both sit on tiny counts, roughly 60 and 100 jobs. Secondary school teaching is the large market at 7% above national across 5,860 positions.
Schools in New Hampshire with History Degree Programs
11 Schools Found
New Hampshire
Colby-Sawyer College
New London, New Hampshire
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire
Franklin Pierce University
Rindge, New Hampshire
Granite State College
Concord, New Hampshire
Online B.A. in History
Keene State College
Keene, New Hampshire
New England College
Henniker, New Hampshire
Plymouth State University
Plymouth, New Hampshire
Rivier University
Nashua, New Hampshire
Saint Anselm College
Manchester, New Hampshire
Southern New Hampshire University
Manchester, New Hampshire
Online Bachelor's in History
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Durham, New Hampshire