2023 Best Area Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools
Finding the Best Area Studies Bachelor's Degree 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 Bachelor's Degree Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 100 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best bachelor's degree programs for students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.
View our full ranking methodology.
Featured Area Studies Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Explore societal similarities and differences as seen through cultural, biological, archaeological and linguistic lenses when you earn one of your degrees in anthropology from Southern New Hampshire University.
2023 Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the United States
Check out the area studies bachelor's degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 15% Best Area Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Bowdoin College to be the best school for area studies students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the United States. Bowdoin is a small private not-for-profit school located in the fringe town of Brunswick.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Dartmouth College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Dartmouth is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the remote town of Hanover.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Durham.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Georgetown University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
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Out of the 100 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
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Brown University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Providence, Brown is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
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Williams College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the fringe town of Williamstown, Williams is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #8 on this year’s Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. UMN Duluth is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Duluth.
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Barnard College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree area studies programs. Located in the city of New York, Barnard is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree area studies programs. Mizzou is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Columbia.
This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $461, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Amherst College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the suburb of Amherst, Amherst is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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Wellesley College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree area studies programs. Located in the large suburb of Wellesley, Wellesley is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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William & Mary landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree area studies programs. Located in the suburb of Williamsburg, William & Mary is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
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University of California - Berkeley did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for area studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #14 on the list. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Berkeley.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, area studies majors at UC Berkeley accumulate an average of around $17,653 in student debt.
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Siena Heights University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the town of Adrian, Siena Heights University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their Bachelor's Degree, area studies graduates from Siena Heights University carry an average student debtload of $34,014.
Read full report on Area Studies at Siena Heights University
Request InformationHonorable Mentions
Here are some additional great schools for Area Studies students that almost earned our Best Area Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Cornell University | Ithaca, NY |
| 17 | Brandeis University | Waltham, MA |
| 18 | Colgate University | Hamilton, NY |
| 19 | New York University | New York, NY |
| 20 | Miami University - Oxford | Oxford, OH |
Area Studies by Region
View the Best Area Studies Bachelor's Degree 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
Related Programs
Learn about other programs related to Area Studies that might interest you.
Explore societal similarities and differences as seen through cultural, biological, archaeological and linguistic lenses when you earn one of your degrees in anthropology from Southern New Hampshire University.
Gain a rich foundation of knowledge ranging from early history to modern times with this online bachelor's degree in history from Southern New Hampshire University.
The online Master of Arts in History degree program can deepen your understanding of how history is made.
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.