Best History Programs in California (2026)
Updated
This page ranks 39 History programs in California by median earnings of History graduates four years after completing, highest first. University of Southern California leads the list at $79,940, followed by California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo at $66,518 and California State University-East Bay at $65,217.
Across the listed programs, the median is $51,913, with figures ranging from $79,940 to $21,964. For 9 of the 39 programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 77% of the list, or 30 of the 39 programs. University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and California State University-Los Angeles posts the lowest average net price at $3,967.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $79,940 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| University of Southern California reports $79,940 in median earnings of History graduates four years after completing, the highest figure on this list, alongside an admission rate of 10%. | |||||
| 2 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $66,518 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ranks 2nd on this list with median earnings of $66,518 for its History graduates four years after completing, and its average net price is $16,665. | |||||
| 3 | California State University-East Bay · Hayward, CA | $65,217 | $9,320 | $6,360 | 97.4% |
| Graduates of California State University-East Bay left with a median of $20,000 in federal loans among History completers who borrowed, while the program's median earnings four years after completing reached $65,217. | |||||
| 4 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $64,755 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| University of California-Berkeley admits 11% of applicants and its History graduates earned a median of $64,755 four years after completing, with a cohort of 121 graduates in the earnings data. | |||||
| 5 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $61,745 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| With an Azimuth composite rank of 1st among nonprofit four-year institutions, University of California-San Diego reports median earnings of $61,745 for its History graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA | $60,519 | $17,890 | $8,717 | 65.8% |
| An average net price of $17,890 coincides with median earnings of $60,519 for History graduates of University of California-Santa Cruz four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $59,555 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| University of California-Los Angeles reports a cohort of 249 graduates in the earnings data, and its History completers earned a median of $59,555 four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $59,342 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
| An average net price of $16,109 and median earnings of $59,342 four years after completing are reported by University of California-Santa Barbara, which ranks 8th on this list. | |||||
| 9 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $58,717 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
| San Francisco State University admits 96% of applicants, and its History graduates earned a median of $58,717 four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $57,861 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
| A median federal debt of $13,881 among History completers who borrowed is reported by San Diego State University, alongside median earnings of $57,861 four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $57,734 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
| University of California-Davis places 18th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its History graduates earned a median of $57,734 four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | Sonoma State University · Rohnert Park, CA | $56,819 | $12,885 | $8,310 | 93.4% |
| Sonoma State University reports an average net price of $12,885, and its History graduates earned a median of $56,819 four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | California State University-Bakersfield · Bakersfield, CA | $56,081 | $5,652 | $3,536 | 93.9% |
| California State University-Bakersfield reports median earnings of $56,081 for its History graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $5,652. | |||||
| 14 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $55,797 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
| With an admission rate of 94%, California State University-Sacramento ranks 14th on this list and counts 115 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 15 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $55,413 | $3,967 | $2,877 | 91.3% |
| California State University-Los Angeles carries the lowest average net price on the page at $3,967 and a median federal debt of $14,777 among History completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 16 | California Baptist University · Riverside, CA | $54,239 | $26,285 | $22,298 | 84.9% |
| A private nonprofit university in Riverside, California Baptist University shows median earnings of $54,239 for its History graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $53,481 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
| University of California-Irvine admits 29% of applicants and reports median earnings of $53,481 for its History graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | California State University-San Marcos · San Marcos, CA | $52,985 | $10,229 | $6,230 | 95.1% |
| Ranking 18th on this list, California State University-San Marcos posts a median federal debt of $16,847 among History completers who borrowed and an admission rate of 95%. | |||||
| 19 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $52,423 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
| California State University-Long Beach reports median earnings of $52,423 for its History graduates four years after completing, with 146 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 20 | University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA | $51,913 | $14,304 | $8,852 | 76.4% |
| An average net price of $14,304 and median earnings of $51,913 for its History graduates four years after completing are reported by University of California-Riverside. | |||||
| 21 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $51,676 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
| California State University-Fresno ranks 21st on this list and shows an admission rate of 95%, alongside a median federal debt of $18,497 among History completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 22 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $51,217 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
| Median earnings of $51,217 for its History graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $11,531 are posted by California State Polytechnic University-Pomona. | |||||
| 23 | California State University-Stanislaus · Turlock, CA | $49,882 | $6,067 | $3,938 | 98.1% |
| California State University-Stanislaus carries a median federal debt of $10,275 among History completers who borrowed and an admission rate of 98%. | |||||
| 24 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $49,351 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% |
| With 53 graduates in the earnings cohort, California State University-Chico posts median earnings of $49,351 for its History graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $48,309 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
| California State University-Fullerton reports median earnings of $48,309 for its History graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $6,555. | |||||
| 26 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $45,821 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| With an admission rate of 93%, California State University-Northridge carries a median federal debt of $15,000 among History completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 27 | California State University-San Bernardino · San Bernardino, CA | $44,655 | $4,564 | $2,681 | 93.7% |
| California State University-San Bernardino posts median earnings of $44,655 for its History graduates four years after completing and ranks 43rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 28 | University of California-Merced · Merced, CA | $44,144 | $11,983 | $7,945 | 90.5% |
| An average net price of $7,945 for families earning under $30,000 accompanies median earnings of $44,144 for History graduates four years after completing at University of California-Merced. | |||||
| 29 | Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA | $43,798 | $50,062 | $22,985 | 48.0% |
| A private nonprofit university in Santa Clara, Santa Clara University reports median earnings of $43,798 for its History graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 30 | San Jose State University · San Jose, CA | $42,682 | $13,760 | $9,730 | 84.6% |
| San Jose State University ranks 23rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and lists median earnings of $42,682 for its History graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 31 | California State University-Channel Islands · Camarillo, CA | $42,229 | $9,849 | $6,857 | 94.8% |
| California State University-Channel Islands carries a median federal debt of $15,898 among History completers who borrowed, with median earnings of $42,229 four years after completing. | |||||
| 32 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt · Arcata, CA | $42,119 | $13,171 | $8,483 | 98.2% |
| An admission rate of 98% at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt coincides with median earnings of $42,119 for its History graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 33 | University of San Francisco · San Francisco, CA | $33,993 | $41,431 | $31,537 | 61.7% |
| University of San Francisco shows an average net price of $31,537 for families earning under $30,000, alongside median earnings of $33,993 for its History graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 34 | Stanford University · Stanford, CA | $32,925 | $13,807 | -$2,536* | 3.6% |
| Stanford University ranks 28th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and admits 4% of applicants, the lowest admission rate on the page. | |||||
| 35 | Azusa Pacific University · Azusa, CA | $32,925 | $22,212 | $15,781 | 88.4% |
| Azusa Pacific University reports median earnings of $32,925 for its History graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $22,212. | |||||
| 36 | Loyola Marymount University · Los Angeles, CA | $31,851 | $48,381 | $32,268 | 45.1% |
| Loyola Marymount University ranks 36th on this list and shows an average net price of $32,268 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 37 | Chapman University · Orange, CA | $25,967 | $46,555 | $33,559 | 65.4% |
| Chapman University ranks 37th on this list, with median earnings of $25,967 for its History graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 38 | Concordia University-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $25,774 | $28,115 | $25,431 | 66.0% |
| A private nonprofit university in Irvine, Concordia University-Irvine reports an average net price of $28,115 and an admission rate of 66%. | |||||
| 39 | California State University-Dominguez Hills · Carson, CA | $21,964 | $8,615 | $7,303 | 93.3% |
| California State University-Dominguez Hills reports median earnings of $21,964 for its History graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $8,615 and a 93% admission rate. | |||||
* Net price can be negative: when grants and scholarships exceed the listed cost of attendance, students can receive the difference as a refund for other expenses.
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their History graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in California appear. The figures cover federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 9 of the 39 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range from top to bottom spans $57,976, with University of Southern California at $79,940 and the lowest listed program at $21,964.