If you want to build a career based on your interest in history, pursuing your degree in history at one of the excellent California public universities is a great place to start. Here we have created a list of the Best Colleges for History Majors in California.

History is a pragmatic discipline in which the analysis of change over time involves sifting the influences and perspectives. It affects the course of events and evaluating the different forms of evidence historians exploit to make sense of them.

Consider these given California colleges, all of which offer stand-out undergraduate and graduate programs in history. Read summaries of top-notch institutions and find a useful university or school in the California, U.S. that offers history majors. Good Luck!!!

University of California-Los Angeles

History Department courses cover a vast range array of periods and geographic contexts, from the ancient Mediterranean to twenty-first century Los Angeles, early modern China to the modern Caribbean, colonial America to the Middle East. A history degree is probably the most flexible and far-ranging. Undergraduate and Graduate History degrees can be rewarding to an individual and useful as a citizen. Students of history at UCLA gain a broad and deep education about our world, helping them to be engaged citizens and informed individuals. The Department of History offers a Ph.D. program. It does not offer a terminal M.A. The program requires full-time attendance, and classes are held during the day.

Founded In: 1919
Ranking:  1st
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 12,763 USD, Out-of-state 37,471 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact:  (310) 825-4601
Apply Now: http://www.history.ucla.edu/

University of California-Berkeley

UC Berkeley’s Department of History is one of the top-ranked history departments in the nation. Their faculty’s research covers almost the entirety of recorded history and spans most of the globe. The Department is known for its expertise in cultural history, but our faculty also specializes in political history. The history of science, economic history, religious history, the history of sexuality, intellectual history, urban history, imperial and world history, and many other fields. They have a well-deserved reputation on campus not only for the quality of our courses but for the quality of our major.

Founded In: 1868
Ranking:  2nd
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 13,431 USD, Out-of-state 38,139 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (510) 642-1971
Apply Now: https://history.berkeley.edu/

Stanford University

The Department of History offers the following degree programs such as Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Arts and Sciences, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy. The primary goal of the Stanford Department of History’s graduate program is the training of scholars. Most students who receive doctorates in the program go on to teach at colleges or universities. Other students have obtained positions in university administration and research.

Founded In: 1885
Ranking:  3rd
Tuition & Fees Approximately: 46,320 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: 650-723-2651
Apply Now: https://history.stanford.edu/

University of Southern California

The Department of History is a dynamic community of undergraduates, graduates, post-doctoral scholars, and faculty, with a wide variety of interests and specializations. As one of the largest providers of undergraduate general education courses in addition to our majors, the faculty of the History Department takes teaching seriously. The faculty in the Department of History conducts research spanning the entire course of human history across every part of the globe. They take this passion for new research and engagement into the classroom in a series of award-winning undergraduate programs.  Their department also trains the next generation of historical scholars in our Ph.D. program.

Founded In: 1880
Ranking:  4th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: 50,210 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (213) 740 – 1657
Apply Now: https://dornsife.usc.edu/hist/

University of California-Santa Barbara

The study of history in the undergraduate program at UC Santa Barbara opens the door to new ways of understanding the past and the present. The department offers graduate program training across a broad spectrum of time periods, geographically-defined and topical areas of specialization, and methodological approaches. The fields of study offered within the department History graduate students also have opportunities to work with faculty in other departments and to pursue Ph.D. emphases in a number of interdisciplinary fields.

Founded In: 1891
Ranking:  5th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 13,968 USD, Out-of-state 38,676 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: 805.893.4505
Apply Now: http://www.history.ucsb.edu/

University of California-Davis

The UC Davis Department of History is one of the nation’s finest public university history departments. Many of the department’s research strengths are rooted in a place where they are proud to live: the history of the environment, of the American West, of migration and of empire. The study of history helps put our own modern world into perspective. As a part of the commitment of the University of California and the Department of History to diversity, our graduate students can find numerous resources, events, and professional dedicated staff members to help them achieve their professional, educational and career goals. The UC Davis Department of History is a community of scholars pursuing research into the past in a wide variety of geographical and thematic specialties. Students in the Ph.D. program receive training in historical research, theory, and teaching as they make significant contributions to this community.

Founded In: 1905
Ranking:  6th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 13,951 USD, Out-of-state 38,659 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: +1 530-752-1011
Apply Now: http://history.ucdavis.edu/

University of California-Santa Cruz

The History Department faculty is a diverse group of scholars whose research and teaching interests often span the divides between traditional academic disciplines. UCSC history majors cultivate a broad understanding of human history across time and space and develop deep knowledge of a particular region of the world. The UCSC History Department is known for the strength of its undergraduate program. The Graduate Program in the Department of History at UCSC can prepare you to upgrade from critical reader to scholar, writer, and teacher. The graduate program in history at UCSC emphasizes an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural approach to historical studies, encouraging innovative thinking about global historical processes.

Founded In: 1965
Ranking:  7th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 13,461 USD, Out-of-state 38,169 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: +1 831-459-0111
Apply Now: https://history.ucsc.edu/

University of California-San Diego

The History Department’s Undergraduate program offers a major, an honors program with a slightly different set of major requirements, and a minor. Its courses are divided into geographic, thematic, and pre-professional fields of emphasis to allow students to easily pursue a breadth and depth of study tailored to his/her interests and career goals. Graduate study is one of the core elements of their department’s mission.  They offer graduate work leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy with concentrations in, Ancient History, East Asian History, European History, History of Science, Latin American History, Middle Eastern History, and United States History. A Master of Arts degree in history is also offered, with concentrations in East Asian History, European History, History of Science, Jewish Studies, and History of the United States.

Founded In: 1960
Ranking:  8th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 13,530 USD, Out-of-state 38,238 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: +1 858-534-1996
Apply Now: https://history.ucsd.edu/

University of California-Riverside

The study of history is as useful as it is fascinating. History majors develop an ability to communicate well and they gain the capacity to think clearly and analytically.  History stresses an understanding of changes that take place in society over time and explores the implications this change has for the present and the future. The History Department offers bachelor degree programs in History/Administrative Studies and in History/Law and Society, as well as a History minor. They also offer M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in History, as well as M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Public History which prepare graduates for careers in museums, archives, and historic preservation, among other professions.

Founded In: 1907
Ranking:  9th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 13,527 USD, Out-of-state 38,235 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (951) 827-3683
Apply Now: http://history.ucr.edu/

University of California-Irvine

The Department of History is a community of some thirty-five scholars who pride their selves on teaching and research. Its strong undergraduate program offers opportunities for internships, overseas study, and advanced research.  The Department offers a wide range of classes and other learning opportunities for undergraduate students. It offers two introductory series—US history and world history—that provide students the opportunity to follow historical patterns across a long time period. The Graduate Program in History at UCI offers students an exciting intellectual community most clearly defined by its commitment to cross-field dialogue among faculty.

Founded In: 1965
Ranking:  10th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 13,252 USD, Out-of-state 37,960 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (949) 824-6521
Apply Now: https://www.humanities.uci.edu/history/