Nearly every college in the United States offers a major in American History or, more precisely, the history of the United States of America — but not all US History programs are the same.
Since a history major is not a traditionally career-oriented major unless you are planning to go into education, when considering a college it’s important to remember that chances are you will not be applying for a job right out of college that 100% aligns with what you did in college. A student with an engineering major will most likely look for a job at an engineering company. A journalism major will most likely look for a job in journalism, media, or writing. A history major — if you aren’t going into education — will most likely go into a field that has transferable skills but that doesn’t require you to be able to recite the presidents and vice presidents in order. Because of this, you really want to try to go to the most prestigious school possible so that while your major may not be directly applicable to future job opportunities, the quality of your degree will make up the difference.
We don’t say this for every major. There are some majors where a less prestigious school is actually the best, and there are others where, as long as you pass a certification exam, it really doesn’t matter what it says on your degree (within reason). This is not one of those situations.
Below we’ve compiled the top majors in US History that deliver an exceptional academic experience and a degree with major clout.
If you are interested in majoring in history, send us an email. We help students chart a course to a successful future.
College of William & Mary — Williamsburg, Virginia
The College of William & Mary is probably the most fitting — and fun — place to study American history, and especially U.S. colonial history, in the United States. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, Disneyland for history buffs, students at the College of William & Mary can go to history classes in the morning and then visit historic sites in costume in the afternoon. Students with a particular interest in history closer to today should also consider the American Studies major.
Yale University — New Haven, Connecticut
The Department of History at Yale offers paths to study nearly any region, at any time period. They call these “pathways,” and they are guides through the major rather than regimented concentrations or specialties. Through the pathways system, you could study the United States through the lens of environmental history, religion, social change, or the world economy — to name a few. Students most interested in the culture and politics of the United States may also want to look into the American Studies major at Yale.
Harvard University — Cambridge, Massachusetts
Harvard offers concentrations in History, History and Literature, History and Science, and History of Art and Architecture, taking a thematic rather than regional method to segmenting the major. Once you select an angle, you can shape your course list to focus on the United States through that lens. We also love that the history department at Harvard has crafted career-centric course clusters for students based on what they want to do after college, including Law, Business & Consulting, Government & International Relations, Journalism & Writing, Environment & Environmental Policy, and Activism, Human Rights, & Service.
University of Pennsylvania (Penn) — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The History Major is one of the most popular majors at Penn, and students can concentrate by theme or region — including American History. Like many history majors, the one at Penn does require a breadth of courses outside of the concentration, so you’ll be able to explore other regions of the world alongside your American History studies. For example, “American Expansion in the Pacific” can be used by an American History major to fulfill the Asia requirement. All majors are also required to conduct significant research as part of the program, which is guided by the department faculty.
Duke University— Durham, North Carolina
Students in the History Major at Duke select a concentration that is thematic or geographic. There are over a dozen options, but for American history buffs the most fitting concentration option is “United States & Canada.” Students who are considering going into teaching after graduation should consider pairing their history major with a minor in Education, and will be able to access practice-teaching opportunities in their senior year.
University of Virginia (UVA) — Charlottesville, Virginia
Students in the History Major at UVA can choose to chart their own path through the major (with some guidance), or can select a thematic concentration such as “Capitalism and Economic Life” or “War, Violence, and Society.” Courses on U.S. history that you could take include “Slavery and Freedom at UVA and in Virginia,” “American Power and Energies,” and “History of American Catholicism.”
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, North Carolina
UNC has a variety of paths of study for students interested in the history of the United States including a History major, American Studies major, and an American Indian and Indigenous Studies minor. If you decide on the History major, you can concentrate in the United States and will have access to excitingly super-specific courses including “Sport and American History,” “The Social History of Popular Music in 20th-Century America,” and “America in the 1970s.”
University of California - Berkeley — Berkeley, California
At Berkeley, History majors are expected to define a concentration, but instead of giving students a list to pick from they support each student in designing their own. You can pick a theme, you can pick a geography, or you could do a combination of both: Like the United States in the 20th century. The American Studies major is another option, which approaches the history and culture of the United States through a variety of disciplines.
Brown University — Providence, Rhode Island
The history concentration at Brown is quite broad, so we are a bit more enthusiastic about their American Studies program as an amazing option for students passionate about US History. The American Studies concentration is spread across four themes: social structure and the practices of identity, space and place, science, technology, and everyday life, and — our personal favorite — production and consumption of culture. Classes include “Death and Dying in America” and “Essaying Culture,” both of which we’d like to take right now.
Princeton University — Princeton, New Jersey
The Effron Center for the Study of America at Princeton offers classes, supports research, and hosts learning experiences on the evolving “experiences and identities of the peoples of the territories known as America.” This means not just the United States, but all of the Americas. The Center provides an amazing framework for the study of the United States, however, and pairs beautifully with the History major at Princeton. All students in the History major are expected to complete three major writing projects: two junior papers and the senior thesis.
There are an overwhelming number of options for majoring in American history, but only a small number that are worth pursuing if you’re thinking about the long-term value of your diploma.
If you want to pursue a history major at one of the best colleges in the US, send us an email. We help students like you find, and get into, their perfect fit.