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Most Popular Area Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region

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2023 Most Popular Area Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region

61 Colleges
$31,493 Avg Salary
$20,522 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Area Studies Bachelor's Degree 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. 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.

The Most Popular Area Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 61 schools in the Southeast Region to see which ones were the most popular bachelor's degree programs for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Area Studies program at each school on the list.

The colleges and universities below are the most popular for area studies majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.

Our 2023 rankings named University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill the most popular school in the Southeast Region for area studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public school with a very large student population.

Women make up 74% of the area studies majors at the school.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, area studies majors at UNC Chapel Hill accumulate an average of around $14,716 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $211, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Area Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Report

The in-demand bachelor’s degree programs at Virginia Commonwealth University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular area studies schools in the Southeast Region . VCU is a very large public school located in the city of Richmond.

About 83% of the students majoring in area studies at the school are women while 17% are male.

On average, area studies graduates from VCU take out $24,762 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Read More…

#3

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA

Out of the 61 schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, William & Mary landed the # 3 spot on the list. William & Mary is a moderately-sized public school located in the small suburb of Williamsburg.

About 71% of the students majoring in area studies at the school are women while 29% are male.

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#3

Emory University

Atlanta, GA

Out of the 61 schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Emory University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.

Women make up 71% of the area studies majors at the school.

Read full report on Area Studies at Emory University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of South Carolina - Columbia. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. UofSC is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Columbia.

About 77% of the students majoring in area studies at the school are women while 23% are male.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of South Carolina - Columbia

Florida International University ranked #6 on this year’s Most Popular Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. FIU is a very large public school located in the suburb of Miami.

Women make up 59% of the area studies majors at the school.

Read full report on Area Studies at Florida International University

#7

Duke University

Durham, NC

Duke University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.

Women make up 81% of the area studies majors at the school.

Full Area Studies at Duke University Report

#8

Furman University

Greenville, SC

Furman University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree area studies programs. Located in the suburb of Greenville, Furman is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

About 70% of the students majoring in area studies at the school are women while 30% are male.

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#8

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

Vanderbilt University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for area studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Of the 27 students majoring in area studies at Vanderbilt, 30% are male and 70% are female.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, area studies graduates from Vanderbilt carry an average student debt load of $11,384.

Read More…

#10

University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY

University of Kentucky ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. UK is a very large public school located in the large city of Lexington.

Women make up 68% of the area studies majors at the school.

Full Area Studies at University of Kentucky Report

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also popular but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Area Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region award.

Rank College Location
11 University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA
12 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA

Best Area Studies Colleges by State

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

State Degrees Awarded
Georgia 100
Virginia 177
North Carolina 332
Florida 110
Tennessee 43
Kentucky 49
South Carolina 84
Louisiana 26
Arkansas 14
Alabama 20
Mississippi 12
West Virginia 2

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 25 schools only.

  • 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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