Best Schools for Area Studies
Area Studies graduates earn a median of $32,868 within two years of graduation, ranking #186 out of 292 tracked majors — 7% below the median across all fields. There are 98 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 2,417 recent graduates.
Where you study matters: Georgetown University graduates earn $52,107 while Florida International University graduates earn $13,702 — a $38,405 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap.
Early career salary growth is moderate: Area Studies graduates see an average 7% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.
Public vs Private: Area Studies
Private schools produce $4,501 more in early earnings on average for Area Studies graduates. Factor in tuition difference to calculate which offers better ROI.
Area Studies by State
Top Area Studies Schools by Graduate Earnings
Georgetown University
Washington, DC · Private
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH · Private
George Washington University
Washington, DC · Private
University of the Pacific
Stockton, CA · Private
Williams College
Williamstown, MA · Private
University of Virginia-Main Campus
Charlottesville, VA · Public
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY · Private
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT · Private
Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY · Private
La Salle University
Philadelphia, PA · Private
Saint Mary's College of California
Moraga, CA · Private
Emory University
Atlanta, GA · Private
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME · Private
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA · Private
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · Public
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL · Public
University of Massachusetts-Boston
Boston, MA · Public
Barnard College
New York, NY · Private
Mary Baldwin University
Staunton, VA · Private
Occidental College
Los Angeles, CA · Private
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA · Private
Yale University
New Haven, CT · Private
University of Maryland-College Park
College Park, MD · Public
Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA · Private
Fordham University
Bronx, NY · Private
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, VA · Private
American University
Washington, DC · Private
Brandeis University
Waltham, MA · Private
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN · Private
Iowa State University
Ames, IA · Public
Connecticut College
New London, CT · Private
Towson University
Towson, MD · Public
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · Public
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN · Private
University of Hartford
West Hartford, CT · Private
Tufts University
Medford, MA · Private
Smith College
Northampton, MA · Private
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA · Private
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI · Public
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, MO · Public
University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · Public
DePaul University
Chicago, IL · Private
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA · Public
Colby College
Waterville, ME · Private
Rider University
Lawrenceville, NJ · Private
Brown University
Providence, RI · Private
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA · Public
University of Washington-Bothell Campus
Bothell, WA · Public
University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
Tacoma, WA · Public
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Honolulu, HI · Public
Showing top 50 of 98 schools. View all or filter by state above.
Majors with Similar Earnings
Frequently Asked Questions
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Data updated June 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders.
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