by our College Data Analytics Team
[Area Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/area-studies/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The highest-paying schools turn a area studies degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 13 schools on the early-career earnings of their area studies graduates.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose area studies graduates go on to earn the most.
Leading the list is Yale University, our #1 for area studies graduate salaries in the New England Region. Yale University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of New Haven. Area Studies graduates of Yale University earn a median of about $81,531 a year early in their careers.
Dartmouth College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in area studies, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the town of Hanover, Dartmouth College is a private not-for-profit institution. Area Studies graduates of Dartmouth College earn a median of about $91,237 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in area studies will find them at Williams College, which ranked #3. Williams College is a private not-for-profit school located in the town of Williamstown. Early-career area studies graduates from Williams College make a median of around $88,619 per year.
A rank of #4 makes Wellesley College one of the highest-paying schools for area studies. Wellesley College is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Wellesley. Students who complete the area studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $68,057.
Strong graduate earnings at Tufts University earned it the #5 place for area studies. Tufts University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Medford. Early-career area studies graduates from Tufts University make a median of around $62,853 per year.
Brandeis University placed #6 among the highest-paying schools for area studies. Located in the city of Waltham, Brandeis University is a private not-for-profit institution. Area Studies graduates of Brandeis University earn a median of about $62,806 a year early in their careers.
Connecticut College came in at #7 for area studies graduate earnings this year. Connecticut College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of New London. After graduating, area studies degree recipients from Connecticut College typically earn about $61,500 annually.
Brown University placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for area studies. Brown University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Providence. Students who complete the area studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $64,366.
Amherst College came in at #9 for area studies graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Amherst, Amherst College is a private not-for-profit institution. Area Studies graduates of Amherst College earn a median of about $49,149 a year early in their careers.
Middlebury College placed #10 among the highest-paying schools for area studies. Middlebury College is a private not-for-profit school located in the town of Middlebury. Students who complete the area studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $59,026.
Colby College landed the #11 spot for area studies salaries this year. Located in the town of Waterville, Colby College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career area studies graduates from Colby College make a median of around $45,686 per year.
Bowdoin College ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying area studies schools. Located in the town of Brunswick, Bowdoin College is a private not-for-profit institution. Area Studies graduates of Bowdoin College earn a median of about $45,315 a year early in their careers.
Smith College ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying area studies schools. Located in the city of Northampton, Smith College is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, area studies degree recipients from Smith College typically earn about $51,070 annually.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries area studies graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 13 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.