10 Affordable Online Master's in History Programs 2025

By earning a master's in history, you can open career doors for teaching, working for museums and nonprofit research groups, or even earning a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the field. Most history MA programs take just a year or two to complete and equip graduates with impressive credentials for various professions. We'll show you where you can find online degree programs at the lowest tuition rates.

What Is an Online Master's Degree in History?

An online master's in history allows you to learn the fundamentals of historical research and pedagogy while completing coursework requirements remotely. Online learning options are available for many history specializations, including public history, American history, world history, and more. These programs also focus on developing foreign language skills, comprehending research methodology and historiography, and primary-source analysis.

How Much Does an Online Master's Degree in History Cost?

It is possible to earn a Master of Arts in History for less than $20,000 in total tuition, but you must know where to look for affordable programs online. Many institutions charge more than $2,000 per credit hour, leading to total educational costs of over $30,000. Our list below shows the most affordable graduate programs, including niche specializations like a master's in art history online.

Cheapest Online Master's in History Programs

Here are 10 programs with accredited history departments at affordable universities. We'll include a description of the program and financial aid information for graduate students.

1. Arizona State University

Arizona State University (ASU) offers an affordable master's program in history. It requires only 10 classes, which you can take in convenient 7.5-week sessions spanning about two years. ASU ranks second among public universities in the U.S. for employability, according to the Global Employability University Ranking and Survey from 2025.

• Estimated tuition cost: $302.50 per credit hour.
• Financial aid: Students qualify for scholarships and grants after completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

2. University of North Carolina - Wilmington

The University of North Carolina - Wilmington (UNCW) has a two-year, 30-credit master's degree program for history education. It offers a flexible online format designed to help full-time working professionals who wish to study in the evening.

This program requires a capstone experience, but you can complete some graduate courses via two-week sessions over the summer.

• Estimated tuition cost: $310.84 per credit hour
• Financial aid: Most graduate students receive funding through loans, grants, and scholarships.
• Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)

3. Missouri State University

Missouri State University specializes in training historians for roles as teachers, public historians, and educational leadership through its 100% online MA in history program. The school offers a thesis option for students who wish to pursue a PhD eventually, but this is not a requirement.

• Estimated tuition cost: $394 per credit hour
• Financial aid: If you maintain a 3.0 GPA, you may qualify for one of the history department's graduate assistant jobs.
• Accreditation: HLC

4. Jackson State University

Jackson State University has an online graduate program with specializations in public history, African American history, women's history, and other topics. This degree program prepares students for several job opportunities, such as a history teacher, a school principal, or a research professional.

• Estimated tuition cost: $476 per credit hour
• Financial aid: Jackson State University offers tuition waivers to select students along with grants and scholarships.
• Accreditation: SACSCOC

5. Colorado Christian University

Colorado Christian University (CCU) offers a master's degree focusing on church history and biblical studies. It requires 39 credit hours, allows students to transfer nine credit hours from other programs, and some students finish within just 17 months.

• Estimated tuition cost: $495 per credit hour
• Financial aid: Most students receive funding through FAFSA using CCU's school code: 003451.
• Accreditation: HLC

6. Norwich University

Norwich University's MA in history degree is 100% online, and you can complete it within 18 months of full-time study. The department's admissions requirements do not require GRE scores, but you must earn at least a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher. It offers concentrations in U.S. history, world history, public history, and more.

• Estimated tuition cost: $550 per credit hour
• Financial aid: Graduate students can receive up to $20,500 in Title IV funds each academic year.
• Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)

7. Lindenwood University

Lindenwood University offers an MA in art history and visual culture. Students can enroll in on-campus, online, or blended formats with no additional cost for textbooks. In its graduate admissions section, Lindenwood promotes over three dozen corporate partnerships it has with employers in the St. Louis area.

• Estimated tuition cost: $551 per credit hour
• Financial aid: You can apply for federal student loans, scholarships, and grants.
• Accreditation: HLC

8. Liberty University

Liberty University offers fully online options at the master's and PhD levels. Graduate courses last eight weeks, and Liberty allows incoming students to transfer credits to fulfill 50% of any degree program. Students can get their master's in church history, U.S. history, military history, world history, European history, or early American history.

• Estimated tuition cost: $580 per credit hour
• Financial aid: Liberty offers generous discounts for current and former military personnel.
• Accreditation: SACSCOC

9. Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) has a fully online master's in history program with several concentrations, core courses, and electives in American, military, and public history. This university takes an efficient approach to college admissions, requiring no application fees, application deadlines, or test scores. All you have to do is submit transcripts and a personal writing sample to complete the graduate school application.

• Estimated tuition cost: $659 per credit hour
• Financial aid: Students can pursue student loans, Direct Plus Loans, scholarships, and enroll in monthly payment plans.
• Accreditation: NECHE

10. University of Memphis

The University of Memphis offers a master's degree in history, a PhD in history, and an interdisciplinary graduate certificate in museum studies. This program focuses on exotic areas of world history, such as Egyptology. The department includes a thesis option for degree completion, but most online students do not pursue this unless they intend to obtain a PhD later.

• Estimated tuition cost: $678 per credit hour
• Financial aid:
• Accreditation: SACSCOC

How We Rank Schools

Here's how we ranked each school that offers a history master's degree online. These colleges possess academic accreditation, affordable tuition, and strong program reputations.

• Accreditation: Each department of history holds a valid accreditation after undergoing an extensive program review for curriculum quality.
• Affordability: These graduate schools charge tuition rates no higher than $1,000 per credit hour.
• Program reputation: We only include graduate programs with dedicated faculty members with good reputations within academia.

What To Expect From an Online Master's in History Degree

Future graduate students can expect a rigorous curriculum of history courses, which includes special-topic seminars, research seminars, and sometimes a master's thesis or capstone project. Most MA students complete the degree within two years before searching for employment or entering a PhD program in history.

Historians with an MA degree can concentrate in numerous sub-fields, such as historiographical research, archaeological history, or the history of specific locations like Europe or Latin America.

FAQs About the Best Online History Master's Degrees

Check out these five frequently asked questions (FAQs) for earning an online graduate degree in history.

Is an Online Master's in History Worth It?

History education can be very rewarding if you possess the right dedication, critical thinking skills, and a solid plan for your career after graduation. Although history degrees do not always command as many high-salary positions as business or medicine, you can still find gainful employment in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors.

You can even find lucrative employment after graduating from an art history master's program, provided you get strong letters of recommendation from your professors.

What Can You Do With a Master's in History Degree?

History master's programs can prepare you for careers as teachers, museum curators, archivists, professors, public historians, librarians, researchers, and more. Ideally, your graduate studies should include internship or research assistantship opportunities, which introduce you to specific roles for new historians.

Does an Online Master's in History Program Require a Thesis?

Some history master's programs require a thesis or capstone project for graduation, but there are an increasing number of non-thesis programs, including at some of the colleges listed above. Just remember that history is a writing-intensive discipline, which will require you to write research papers for most of your online courses.

How Long Does It Take To Complete an Online History Master's Degree?

The traditional time frame for completing an MA in history is roughly two years. However, there are several accelerated or self-paced programs for students who wish to finish faster or slower by taking courses part-time. Art history master's programs also take about the same time to finish.

Discover Online History Degrees

Learn.org can help you identify the best online degree programs for every academic field. Explore our extensive literature covering online degrees in history, the liberal arts, the humanities, and more.