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2024 Best Area Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region

10 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
808 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
$34,342 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in area studies, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #115 in the country in terms of popularity. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 10 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Area Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 808 degrees in area studies during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Area Studies School

Best Area Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region The area studies program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Area Studies rankings. For our Best Overall Area Studies School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Area Studies Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Area Studies
Master's Degrees in Area Studies
Doctor's Degrees in Area Studies

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Area Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Area Studies in the Great Lakes Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the area studies degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Area Studies

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
157 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
$32,123 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat University of Wisconsin - Madison if you wish to pursue a degree in area studies. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were roughly 157 area studies students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the area studies program earn around $32,123 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in area studies from University of Wisconsin - Madison

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
68 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
$36,235 Median Starting Salary

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in area studies. U-M is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were roughly 68 area studies students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the area studies program earn about $36,235 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in area studies from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
56 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
$40,022 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in area studies has to look into Miami University - Oxford. Miami University - Oxford is a large public university located in the town of Oxford. This university ranks 3rd out of 96 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were roughly 56 area studies students who graduated with this degree at Miami University - Oxford in the most recent year we have data available. Area Studies degree recipients from Miami University - Oxford get an earnings boost of around $5,680 above the typical earnings of area studies majors.

More information about a degree in area studies from Miami University - Oxford

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
32 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
$32,224 Median Starting Salary

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in area studies. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 32 area studies students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. After graduating, area studies degree recipients usually make about $32,224 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in area studies from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
45 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
13.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 45 area studies students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, area studies degree recipients typically make about $35,643 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in area studies from University of Chicago

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IN
44 Area Studies Degrees Awarded

IU Bloomington is a very large public university located in the city of Bloomington. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were approximately 44 area studies students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in area studies from Indiana University - Bloomington

7
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, OH
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
$19,436 Median Starting Salary

Located in the fringe town of Oberlin, Oberlin is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 8th out of 96 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were approximately 41 area studies students who graduated with this degree at Oberlin in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the area studies program state that they receive average early career income of $19,436.

More information about a degree in area studies from Oberlin College

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$32,968 Median Starting Salary

UIC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Chicago. This university ranks 6th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 17 area studies students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the area studies program report average early career wages of $32,968.

More information about a degree in area studies from University of Illinois at Chicago

9
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$28,163 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 11 area studies students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, area studies degree recipients typically earn about $28,163 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in area studies from DePaul University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In OH

Ohio State is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Columbus. This university ranks 2nd out of 96 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were about 3 area studies students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in area studies from Ohio State University - Main Campus

Best Area Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best area studies schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 122
Ohio 314 181
Illinois 304 143
Indiana 294 101
Wisconsin 273 64

View All Rankings >

Area Studies is one of 2 different types of Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies programs to choose from.

Area Studies Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
East Asian Studies 132
American U.S. Studies 123
Asian Studies 81
Latin American Studies 76
African Studies 68
European Studies 58
Near & Middle Eastern Studies 54
Area Studies, Other 28
Japanese Studies 27
Russian Studies 25

View All Area Studies Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Ethnic Studies 1,233
Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Other) 41

View All Area Studies Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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