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Most Popular Area Studies Schools in Virginia

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2023 Most Popular Area Studies Schools in Virginia

13 Colleges
$28,514 Avg Salary
$21,358 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Area Studies School for You

Area Studies is the #104 most popular major in Virginia with 177 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Most Popular Area Studies Schools in Virginia ranking. This report analyzed 13 schools in Virginia to see which ones were the most popular 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 following schools top our list of the Most Popular Area Studies Colleges.

#1

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA

Our 2023 rankings named William & Mary the most popular school in Virginia for area studies students. William & Mary is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg.

On average, area studies graduates from William & Mary take out $13,750 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Area Studies at William & Mary Report

The excellent programs at Virginia Commonwealth University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best area studies schools in Virginia. VCU is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Richmond.

On average, area studies graduates from VCU take out $24,250 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

#3

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA

The excellent programs at University of Richmond helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best area studies schools in Virginia. URichmond is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of University of Richmond.

After completing their degree, area studies graduates from URichmond carry an average student debt load of $22,465.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of Richmond

Out of the 13 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the # 4 spot on the list. University of Virginia is a very large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville.

The average amount in student loans that area studies majors at University of Virginia take out is $24,968.

Full Area Studies at University of Virginia - Main Campus Report

#5

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend George Mason University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Area Studies Schools in Virginia list. GMU is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Fairfax.

Read full report on Area Studies at George Mason University

#6

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA

Old Dominion University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Area Studies Schools in Virginia ranking. Old Dominion is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Norfolk.

Read full report on Area Studies at Old Dominion University

Randolph - Macon College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Area Studies Schools in Virginia ranking. Randolph - Macon is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Ashland.

Full Area Studies at Randolph - Macon College Report

Washington and Lee University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular area studies programs. Washington and Lee is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Lexington.

Read More…

With a ranking of #8, Emory and Henry College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for area studies students. Located in the rural area of Emory, Emory & Henry College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Read full report on Area Studies at Emory and Henry College

#10

Mary Baldwin University

Staunton, VA

Mary Baldwin University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Area Studies Schools in Virginia ranking. Mary Baldwin is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Staunton.

Read full report on Area Studies at Mary Baldwin University

Best Area Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Most Popular Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Georgia 100
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 13 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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