2023 Best Area Studies Schools
Finding the Best Area Studies School for You
Area Studies is the #112 most popular major in the country with 6,966 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Area Studies Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 106 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Area Studies Schools in the United States
The colleges and universities below are the best for area studies majors pursuing a .
Top 15% Best Area Studies Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Bowdoin College the best school in the United States for area studies students. Bowdoin is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Brunswick.
On average, area studies graduates from Bowdoin take out $19,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dartmouth College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Area Studies Schools list. Dartmouth is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the remote town of Hanover.
On average, area studies graduates from Dartmouth take out $16,041 in student loans while working on their degree.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Area Studies Schools list. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Durham.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Georgetown University is a great place for area studies students. Located in the large city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Area Studies Schools list. Located in the town of Williamstown, Williams is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Brown University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best area studies programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Providence, Brown is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
While working on their degree, area studies majors at Brown accumulate an average of around $15,275 in student debt.
University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Area Studies Schools ranking. UMN Duluth is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Duluth.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of Minnesota - Duluth
Barnard College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Area Studies Schools list. Located in the large city of New York, Barnard is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that area studies majors at Barnard take out is $19,000.
Stanford University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for area studies students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best area studies programs. Mizzou is a fairly large public school located in the city of Columbia.
Area Studies majors at Mizzou take out an average of $25,250 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $461, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Area Studies at University of Missouri - Columbia Report
Amherst College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for area studies students. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Amherst, Amherst is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
With a ranking of #12, Wellesley College did quite well on this year’s best schools for area studies students. Located in the suburb of Wellesley, Wellesley is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
On average, area studies graduates from Wellesley take out $9,725 in student loans while working on their degree.
William & Mary did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for area studies students. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the small suburb of Williamsburg, William & Mary is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that area studies majors at William & Mary take out is $13,750.
University of California - Berkeley landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best area studies programs. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the city of Berkeley.
After completing their degree, area studies graduates from UC Berkeley carry an average student debtload of $17,000.
Full Area Studies at University of California - Berkeley Report
Siena Heights University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Area Studies Schools list. Located in the town of Adrian, Siena Heights University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great schools for Area Studies students that almost earned our Best Area Studies Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Madison, WI |
| 17 | Colgate University | Hamilton, NY |
| 18 | Cornell University | Ithaca, NY |
| 19 | Brandeis University | Waltham, MA |
| 20 | Miami University - Oxford | Oxford, OH |
| 21 | Middlebury College | Middlebury, VT |
Area Studies by Region
View the Best Area Studies Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Area Studies Rankings
Area Studies Related Rankings by Major
Area Studies is one of 2 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Ethnic Studies | 9,231 |
| Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Other) | 46 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Karl Udo Gerth.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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