2023 Best Area Studies Master's Degree Schools
Finding the Best Area Studies Master'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.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Area Studies Master's Degree Schools ranking. This report analyzed 52 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best master'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 Master’s Degree Schools in the United States
Check out the area studies master's degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 10 Best Area Studies Master's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Georgetown University to be the best school for area studies students who want to pursue a master’s degree in the United States. Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
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The excellent master’s degree programs at Duke University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best area studies schools in the United States. Duke is a 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 Brown University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Providence, Brown is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Stanford University is a great place for area studies students working on their master’s degree. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools list. U-M is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor.
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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 master’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list. UC Berkeley is a very large public school located in the city of Berkeley.
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William & Mary ranked #7 on this year’s Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the suburb of Williamsburg, William & Mary is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
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With a ranking of #8, Cornell University did quite well on this year’s best schools for area studies students working on their master’s degree. Cornell is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Ithaca.
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With a ranking of #9, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on this year’s best schools for area studies students working on their master’s degree. UW - Madison is a fairly large public school located in the city of Madison.
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George Washington University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree area studies programs. Located in the city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Request InformationArea Studies by Region
View the Best Area Studies Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
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| 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.