BestOnlineCollege.org is an advertising-supported website. Many of the school and program listings that appear on this site are from partners who compensate us, and this compensation may affect how, where, and in what order listings appear (such as featured placements). This compensation does not influence our editorial content, evaluations, or rankings, which are determined independently using publicly available data. We do not review or feature every school or program available in the marketplace. Our goal is to provide accurate, unbiased information so you can make informed decisions. Read our full Advertiser Disclosure.
Best Online Military History Degree Programs (2026)
Updated September 7, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Key takeaway: Military history (CIP 54.0108) is a specialized history degree: campaigns, institutions, technology, and the political context of armed force. American Public University and Southern New Hampshire University sell it online at bachelor’s and master’s level. The CIP is tiny. In IPEDS 2024 only a handful of institutions reported bachelor’s-or-higher completions in this exact code, so most ‘military history’ programs are a concentration inside a history major rather than a standalone CIP. In IPEDS 2024, 9 institutions reported bachelor’s-or-higher completions in the CIP codes used for this guide, and 8 of those institutions reported offering distance-education programs (IPEDS 2024). Compare accredited programs below.
Historian is a small occupation. Most graduates teach, write, work in museums and archives, or use the degree as a writing-and-research credential for government and defense analysis jobs that do not require this CIP.
These accredited schools offer online programs. Request information to compare programs, costs, and formats.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
Average net price (lower is better) 20%
Retention rate 15%
Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
BOC
Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.
Median annual wages come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. Individual outcomes vary.
Median annual wage for the highest-paying military history careers. Source: BLS OEWS. Chart: Best Online College.View the data behind this chart
Highest-paying military history careers. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025 release)
Occupation
Median annual wage
History Teachers, Postsecondary
$83,820
Editors
$77,920
Writers and Authors
$76,910
Historians
$76,750
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists
$68,270
Archivists
$64,550
Curators
$63,420
Museum Technicians and Conservators
$51,440
</> Embed or cite this chart
Copy this code to embed the chart (a link back to this page is included):
Projected job growth (2024-2034) for military history careers. Source: BLS Employment Projections. Chart: Best Online College.View the data behind this chart
Fastest-growing military history careers. Source: BLS Employment Projections (2024-2034)
Occupation
Projected job growth (2024-2034)
Curators
7.0%
Museum Technicians and Conservators
5.4%
Archivists
3.8%
Writers and Authors
3.6%
Historians
2.2%
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists
1.7%
Editors
0.6%
History Teachers, Postsecondary
-0.2%
</> Embed or cite this chart
Copy this code to embed the chart (a link back to this page is included):
HistoriansSOC 19-3093
$76,750Median annual pay
Median hourly$36.90
Mean annual$81,240
Employment (US)3,450
Pay range (25-75%)$57,290 - $99,990
History Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1125
$83,820Median annual pay
Mean annual$96,580
Employment (US)18,790
Pay range (25-75%)$63,920 - $112,090
CuratorsSOC 25-4012
$63,420Median annual pay
Median hourly$30.49
Mean annual$71,560
Employment (US)12,150
Pay range (25-75%)$48,870 - $83,080
ArchivistsSOC 25-4011
$64,550Median annual pay
Median hourly$31.03
Mean annual$70,640
Employment (US)7,970
Pay range (25-75%)$50,680 - $83,020
Museum Technicians and ConservatorsSOC 25-4013
$51,440Median annual pay
Median hourly$24.73
Mean annual$57,410
Employment (US)12,310
Pay range (25-75%)$41,050 - $67,640
EditorsSOC 27-3041
$77,920Median annual pay
Median hourly$37.46
Mean annual$90,060
Employment (US)91,690
Pay range (25-75%)$57,300 - $106,100
Librarians and Media Collections SpecialistsSOC 25-4022
$68,270Median annual pay
Median hourly$32.82
Mean annual$72,840
Employment (US)133,790
Pay range (25-75%)$56,310 - $84,480
Writers and AuthorsSOC 27-3043
$76,910Median annual pay
Median hourly$36.98
Mean annual$86,090
Employment (US)47,940
Pay range (25-75%)$58,230 - $101,950
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
This is not officer commissioning, not ROTC, and not a shortcut into an intelligence agency. Commissioning has its own pipelines. Analysis jobs want the clearance process described on the intelligence studies page.
A military history degree covers U.S. and world military history, historiography, research methods, war and society, and a thesis or research capstone. Historian is a small occupation. Most graduates teach, write, work in museums and archives, or use the degree as a writing-and-research credential for government and defense analysis jobs that do not require this CIP.
Can I earn a military history degree online?
Yes. In IPEDS 2024, 9 institutions reported bachelor’s-or-higher completions in the CIP codes used for this guide, and 8 of those institutions reported offering distance-education programs (IPEDS 2024).
Is military history accredited?
There is no programmatic accreditor for military history. Institutional accreditation is the check that matters. Museum and archive jobs may want an additional master’s in library science or museum studies.
What do military history graduates earn?
Historians The national median annual wage was $76,750, with the 10th percentile at $42,730 and the 90th at $131,810 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 3,400 in 2024, projected to grow 2.2 percent through 2034, with 300 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Individual outcomes vary by employer, geography, and experience.
