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2024 Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

19 Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region
1,436 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
$34,912 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.

College Factual reviewed 19 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of area studies. Combined, these schools handed out 1,436 degrees in area studies to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Area Studies School

Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic 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

The area studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region. 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 Middle Atlantic 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 Middle Atlantic Region Schools in Area Studies

1
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
124 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
$59,362 Median Starting Salary

Georgetown University is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in area studies. Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were approximately 124 area studies students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent year we have data available. Those area studies students who get their degree from Georgetown University receive $24,450 more than the standard area studies graduate.

More information about a degree in area studies from Georgetown University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
107 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
$50,211 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat Columbia University in the City of New York if you want to pursue a degree in area studies. Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 107 area studies students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Area Studies degree recipients from Columbia University in the City of New York receive an earnings boost of approximately $15,299 above the typical income of area studies majors.

More information about a degree in area studies from Columbia University in the City of New York

3
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$42,983 Median Starting Salary
$19,000 Median Student Debt

It is difficult to beat Barnard College if you wish to pursue a degree in area studies. Located in the city of New York, Barnard is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #77 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Barnard is a great college overall.

There were roughly 28 area studies students who graduated with this degree at Barnard in the most recent year we have data available. Area Studies degree recipients from Barnard College receive an earnings boost of about $8,071 over the average earnings of area studies majors.

More information about a degree in area studies from Barnard College

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
57 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
14.0% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in area studies has to look into Cornell University. Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were approximately 57 area studies students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the area studies program report average early career earnings of $30,086.

More information about a degree in area studies from Cornell University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
118 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
$42,334 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #27 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were about 118 area studies students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year. Those area studies students who get their degree from New York University receive $7,422 more than the standard area studies graduate.

More information about a degree in area studies from New York University

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
$38,846 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Bronx, Fordham U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #109 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Fordham U is a great university overall.

There were approximately 38 area studies students who graduated with this degree at Fordham U in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the area studies degree program at Fordham University get $3,934 above the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in area studies from Fordham University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
42 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
2.4% Growth in Graduates

GWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means GWU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 42 area studies students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent data year. Area Studies degree recipients from George Washington University earn a boost of about $15,764 above the typical income of area studies graduates.

More information about a degree in area studies from George Washington University

8
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$31,551 Median Starting Salary

Colgate is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Hamilton. A Best Colleges rank of #67 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Colgate is a great university overall.

There were roughly 18 area studies students who graduated with this degree at Colgate in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the area studies program earn an average of $31,551 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in area studies from Colgate University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$36,080 Median Starting Salary
$17,750 Median Student Debt

UMCP is a very large public university located in the large suburb of College Park. A Best Colleges rank of #42 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UMCP is a great university overall.

There were roughly 27 area studies students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, area studies degree recipients generally earn about $36,080 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in area studies from University of Maryland - College Park

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In DE
35.0% Growth in Graduates

UD is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Newark. This university ranks 1st out of 4 colleges for overall quality in the state of Delaware.

There were roughly 20 area studies students who graduated with this degree at UD in the most recent year we have data available.

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

Best Area Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best area studies colleges for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic Region .

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Pennsylvania334202
New York333666
Maryland279141
New Jersey27375
District of Columbia188205
Delaware17513

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

MajorAnnual Graduates
American U.S. Studies375
Asian Studies217
Near & Middle Eastern Studies163
East Asian Studies154
Latin American Studies136
Western European Studies59
Area Studies, Other56
African Studies53
French Studies37
Russian Studies35

View All Area Studies Concentrations >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Ethnic Studies1,188
Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Other)1

View All Area Studies Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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