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Best Area Studies Schools in the Plains States Region

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2023 Best Area Studies Schools in the Plains States Region

7 Colleges
$31,952 Avg Salary
$25,098 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Area Studies School for You

Out of all the majors we analyze each year, area studies was ranked #112 in the country. In fact 6,966 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Area Studies Schools in the Plains States Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 7 schools in the Plains States Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Area Studies Schools in the Plains States Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for area studies majors pursuing a .

Top Plains States Region Schools in Area Studies

Our analysis found University of Minnesota - Duluth to be the best school for area studies students who want to pursue a degree in the Plains States Region . Located in the city of Duluth, UMN Duluth is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Full Area Studies at University of Minnesota - Duluth Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Area Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the midsize city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public school with a very large student population.

On average, area studies graduates from Mizzou take out $25,250 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $461, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of Missouri - Columbia

#3

Carleton College

Northfield, MN

The excellent programs at Carleton College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best area studies schools in the Plains States Region . Carleton is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Northfield.

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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Iowa State University is a great place for area studies students. Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, area studies majors at Iowa State accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.

Full Area Studies at Iowa State University Report

#5

St Olaf College

Northfield, MN

Out of the 7 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, St Olaf College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the town of Northfield, St. Olaf is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Area Studies majors at St. Olaf take out an average of $23,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Area Studies at St Olaf College

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best area studies programs. UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Minneapolis.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#7

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

University of Iowa came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Area Studies Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Iowa is a very large public school located in the city of Iowa City.

On average, area studies graduates from Iowa take out $25,141 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of Iowa

Best Area Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best area studies schools for a specific state in the Plains States region.

State Degrees Awarded
Missouri 113
Minnesota 92
Kansas 38
Iowa 53
Nebraska 9
North Dakota 2
South Dakota 0

One of 2 majors within the area of study, area studies has other similar majors worth exploring.

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

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 7 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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