2021 Highest Paid Area Studies Graduates in Illinois
Finding the Best Area Studies School for You
With 102 bachelor's degrees handed out in 2018-2019, area studies is the #103 most popular major in Illinois. This means that of the 5,042 bachelor's that were awarded in the country, 2.0% were from a college or university in the state.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Highest Paid Area Studies Graduates list, to help you choose the best school for you.
This year's Highest Paid Area Studies Graduates in Illinois ranking analyzed 2 colleges that offered a bachelor's degree in area studies.
The numbers used in this ranking are early career salaries, which we define to be 10 years after a student started college. This is the salary typically earned 4-6 years after graduation, but may be different depending on how long a person takes to complete their degree.
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How Much Do Area Studies Majors Make After Graduation?
The average area studies major who graduates from a school in Illinois earns about $30,550 per year during the early years of their career. That's not so great, since it is 23% less than the national average salary of a typical bachelor's degree holder. However, graduates from the schools in this list may make more.
Nationwide, students who earn a bachelor's degree in area studies make more than those who graduate from schools in Illinois. The national average salary is $32,162.
College Combat
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
2021 Highest Paid Area Studies Grads in Illinois
The following colleges produce the highest paid area studies graduates.
Best Schools for Highly Paid Area Studies Graduates in Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign landed the #1 spot in our 2021 rankings for highest paid area studies school. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a very large student population. The average salary for a student who gets a bachelor's degree in area studies from the school is $32,400.
On average, area studies graduates from UIUC take out $17,985 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $188.
Full Area Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign Report
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Northwestern University landed the #1 spot in our 2021 rankings for highest paid area studies school. Northwestern U is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston.
While working on their bachelor's, area studies majors at Northwestern U accumulate an average of around $16,569 in student debt.
Full Area Studies at Northwestern University Report
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Our rankings recognize University of Illinois at Chicago as the #2 school in this year's rankings. UIC is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Chicago. Students who receive their bachelor's in area studies from the school go on to jobs that make an average salary of $28,700.
Area Studies majors at UIC take out an average of $12,524 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $112, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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The #3 spot in this year's ranking belongs to DePaul University. Located in the large city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
After completing their bachelor's degree, area studies graduates from DePaul carry an average student debtload of $21,526. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $240.
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Augustana College comes in at #5 in this year's ranking. Augustana is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Rock Island.
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The #6 spot in this year's ranking belongs to University of Chicago. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.
The average amount in student loans that area studies majors at UChicago take out while working on their bachelor's is $19,710.
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The #7 spot in this year's ranking belongs to North Central College. North Central is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Naperville.
Read full report on Area Studies at North Central College
Request InformationBest Area Studies Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Area Studies Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.
State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
---|---|---|
Michigan | 255 | 113 |
Ohio | 246 | 187 |
Indiana | 227 | 69 |
Wisconsin | 209 | 50 |
Rankings in Majors Related to Area Studies
One of 1 majors within the Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies area of study, Area Studies has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related to Area Studies
Related Major | Annual Graduates |
---|---|
Ethnic Studies | 174 |
View All Area Studies Related Majors >
Notes and References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Karl Udo Gerth.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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