I have noticed that the flip side of the very tough job market for history Ph.D.'s is that small and not-well-known universities are often filled with very high quality faculty. While the ranking and reputation of a graduate program are definitely factors to consider in deciding where to study, even at lower ranked and unknown programs we might well be taught by graduates of top schools and other very well-prepared faculty. Several unknown state schools near me with no particular academic reputation are blessed with very sharp history faculty members from UCLA, Duke, Virginia, Illinois, Columbia, Wisconsin, and etc. I can't speak from experience as to the particular schools that have been mentioned here, and don't know whether they are located in places folks would find congenial, but those schools may well have many fine faculty.