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Best Area Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region

2023 Best Area Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region

12 Colleges
$34,342 Avg Salary
$21,486 Avg Student Debt

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.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Area Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 12 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Area Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region

Check out the area studies programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Area Studies Schools

Our analysis found Siena Heights University to be the best school for area studies students who want to pursue a degree in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the distant town of Adrian, Siena Heights University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Area Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Madison is a very large public school located in the city of Madison.

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The excellent programs at Miami University - Oxford helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best area studies schools in the Great Lakes Region . Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public school located in the fringe town of Oxford.

While working on their degree, area studies majors at Miami University - Oxford accumulate an average of around $23,218 in student debt.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Area Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UIUC is a very large public school located in the small city of Champaign.

The average amount in student loans that area studies majors at UIUC take out is $19,500.

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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a great place for area studies students. U-M is a very large public school located in the city of Ann Arbor.

Area Studies majors at U-M take out an average of $17,256 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Area Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Report

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University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #6 on this year’s Best Area Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large city of Chicago, UIC is a public college with a very large student population.

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#7

Oberlin College

Oberlin, OH

Oberlin College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Area Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the fringe town of Oberlin, Oberlin is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, area studies graduates from Oberlin take out $24,951 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Area Studies at Oberlin College Report

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#8

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

With a ranking of #8, University of Chicago did quite well on this year’s best schools for area studies students. Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

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#9

DePaul University

Chicago, IL

DePaul University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Area Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

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Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best area studies programs. Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public college with a very large student population.

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Best Area Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best area studies colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 124
Ohio 182
Illinois 148
Indiana 101
Wisconsin 66

More Area Studies Rankings in the Great Lakes Region

Area Studies is one of 2 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Ethnic Studies 9,231
Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Other) 46

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 12 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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