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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Area Studies in Minnesota

15 Ranked Colleges
92 Degrees Awarded
$28,500 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 6,966 people earned their degree in area studies, making the major the 115th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, area studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $33,127 and had an average of $20,927 in loans still to pay off.

Across Minnesota, there were 92 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,660 and $23,000 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota” ranking, we looked at 15 colleges that offer a degree in area studies. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their area studies program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota”.

Top 15 Most Focused Colleges for Area Studies in Minnesota

1
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend St Olaf College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota list. St. Olaf is located in Northfield, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at St Olaf College

2
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

Out of the 15 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota that were part of this year’s ranking, Carleton College landed the #2 spot on the list. Carleton College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northfield, Minnesota. It awarded 15 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Area Studies at Carleton

3
Gustavus Adolphus crest
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Gustavus Adolphus College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota list. Gustavus Adolphus is a small school located in Saint Peter, Minnesota that handed out 10 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Gustavus Adolphus Area Studies Report

4
Macalester crest
Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Out of the 15 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota that were part of this year’s ranking, Macalester College landed the #4 spot on the list. Macalester College is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Macalester

5
SJU crest
Saint Johns University
Collegeville, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Johns University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota list. Located in Collegeville, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Saint Johns University

6
CSB crest
College of Saint Benedict
Saint Joseph, Minnesota

College of Saint Benedict ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota list. College of Saint Benedict is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Joseph, Minnesota. It awarded 3 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full College of Saint Benedict Area Studies Report

7

University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #7 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at UMN Duluth

8

University of Minnesota - Morris ranked #8 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota list. University of Minnesota - Morris is a public institution located in Morris, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at University of Minnesota - Morris

9

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #9 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota list. UMN Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 12 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

10

Minnesota State University - Moorhead came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota ranking. Minnesota State University - Moorhead is a medium-sized school located in Moorhead, Minnesota that handed out 1 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full MSU Moorhead Area Studies Report

11

With a ranking of #11, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota list. Minnesota State University - Mankato is located in Mankato, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Minnesota State University - Mankato

12
Augsburg crest
Augsburg University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Augsburg University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota ranking. Augsburg is a small school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Area Studies at Augsburg

12
Hamline crest
Hamline University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Hamline University ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota list. Hamline is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Hamline University

12
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Bethany Lutheran College
Mankato, Minnesota

Bethany Lutheran College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota ranking. Mankato, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at BLC

12
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Minnesota ranking. Located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 0 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full St. Cloud State University Area Studies Report

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