Area Studies
Offered at 559 college programs that reported results. Here is what graduates earn and owe at each credential level, and which programs pay best.
By credential level
| Credential | Programs | Typical earnings, 1 yr | Typical earnings, 5 yrs | Typical debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 39 | — | — | — |
| Associate | 24 | — | — | — |
| Bachelor's | 324 | $42,038 | $67,465 | $18,937 |
| Master's | 100 | $59,749 | $85,177 | — |
| Doctoral | 43 | — | — | — |
| Graduate certificate | 29 | — | — | — |
"Typical" is the median across programs of each program's median, counting only programs with unsuppressed data (at least three). It describes a typical program, not a national median for all graduates. Certificate figures include certificates earned at four-year colleges, often alongside a bachelor's; see degrees vs. certificates for a cleaner comparison. Source: College Scorecard field of study data.
Highest-earning certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | PA | $46,232 | $55,890 | $21,812 |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | WI | $34,167 | $48,447 | $25,275 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning bachelor's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dartmouth College | NH | $65,279 | $111,937 | — |
| 2 | University of the Pacific | CA | — | $83,824 | — |
| 3 | Middlebury College | VT | $46,666 | $82,144 | — |
| 4 | University of San Francisco | CA | — | $81,523 | — |
| 5 | The University of Alabama | AL | — | $81,401 | — |
| 6 | Emory University | GA | $38,202 | $81,039 | $12,000 |
| 7 | Miami University-Oxford | OH | $42,873 | $80,936 | $19,642 |
| 8 | Florida State University | FL | — | $80,822 | — |
| 9 | Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | $56,970 | $80,537 | $16,500 |
| 10 | Trinity College | CT | — | $80,450 | — |
| 11 | Fordham University | NY | $50,891 | $79,922 | $23,250 |
| 12 | University of Missouri-Columbia | MO | $54,399 | $79,688 | $20,000 |
| 13 | Barnard College | NY | $63,702 | $79,456 | $15,500 |
| 14 | University of Southern California | CA | — | $78,771 | — |
| 15 | Yale University | CT | $67,764 | $78,215 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning master's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgetown University | DC | $71,262 | $101,914 | — |
| 2 | Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | $62,498 | $93,488 | — |
| 3 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | MI | — | $92,394 | — |
| 4 | George Washington University | DC | — | $88,432 | — |
| 5 | Stanford University | CA | — | $85,177 | — |
| 6 | University of Chicago | IL | — | $72,312 | — |
| 7 | New York University | NY | $58,259 | $71,665 | — |
| 8 | Harvard University | MA | $69,625 | — | — |
| 9 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | $58,295 | $64,285 | — |
| 10 | Trinity College | CT | — | $63,629 | — |
| 11 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | $59,749 | — | — |
| 12 | Center for Advanced Studies On Puerto Rico and the Caribbean | PR | $28,356 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning doctoral programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University | MA | — | $90,752 | — |
| 2 | Center for Advanced Studies On Puerto Rico and the Caribbean | PR | $44,073 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Related fields
Quick answers
- How much do area studies graduates earn?
- One year after finishing, a typical bachelor's program in area studies reports median earnings of $42,038. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field of study data.
