I know it's an old thread and the op is surely long gone but I thought I'd point out that there are a number of very good non-US schools that offer degrees in History. I know that some don't care for these non-US schools/degrees but it might work for others. Here's an example
History | University of London
https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/postgradua...021&id=616
History | University of London
https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying/postgradua...021&id=616