2024 Best Area Studies Master's Degree Schools
Area Studies is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #116 most popular master's degree program in the country. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.
College Factual reviewed 48 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for master's degree seekers in the field of area studies. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,450 master's degrees in area studies during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great Area Studies School for Your Master's Degree
Your choice of area studies for getting your master's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality area studies program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
Quality Overall Is Important
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Average Earnings
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on area studies students vs. other majors.
- Major Demand - The number of area studies students who choose to seek a master's degree at the school.
- Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
- Student Debt - How much debt area studies students go into to obtain their master's degree and how well they are able to pay back that debt.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized area studies related body.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for area studies students working on their master's degree.
More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Area Studies Master's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Area Studies in the United States
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in area studies.
10 Top Schools for a Master's in Area Studies
Georgetown University is a great choice for individuals pursuing a master's degree in area studies. Located in the large city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Master's recipients from the area studies major at Georgetown University get $12,982 above the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a master’s in area studies from Georgetown University
Every student who is interested in a master's degree in area studies needs to take a look at Stanford University. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Stanford.
Master's graduates who receive their degree from the area studies program make an average of $48,121 in their early career salary.
More information about a master’s in area studies from Stanford University
Every student who is interested in a master's degree in area studies needs to look into Brown University. Located in the city of Providence, Brown is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in area studies from Brown University
Columbia University in the City of New York is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in area studies. Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Those area studies students who get their master's degree from Columbia University in the City of New York make $3,831 more than the typical area studies student.
More information about a master’s in area studies from Columbia University in the City of New York
Located in the midsize city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in area studies from Yale University
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