2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Great Lakes Region
70
Ranked Colleges
448
Degrees Awarded
$31,832
Avg Salary
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 6,966 people earned their degree in area studies, making the major the 115th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, area studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $33,127 and had an average of $20,927 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 808 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,342 and $21,486 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 448 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,343 and $26,790 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 70 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in area studies. That schools that top this list have a program in area studies in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region”.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region”.
Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 70 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Oberlin College landed the #1 spot on the list. Oberlin, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Oberlin
Out of the 70 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Earlham College landed the #2 spot on the list. Earlham is a private not-for-profit institution located in Richmond, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Earlham College Area Studies Report
Out of the 70 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, The College of Wooster landed the #3 spot on the list. Wooster College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wooster, Ohio. It awarded 10 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at Wooster College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wittenberg University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Wittenberg University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Springfield, Ohio. It awarded 8 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Area Studies at Wittenberg
Out of the 70 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Siena Heights University landed the #5 spot on the list. Siena Heights University is located in Adrian, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Read more about Area Studies at Siena Heights University
Kalamazoo College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Kalamazoo College is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at Kalamazoo College
Lake Forest College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lake Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Lake Forest College Area Studies Report
Knox College ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Galesburg, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Knox
Lawrence University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Lawrence University is located in Appleton, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Area Studies at Lawrence University
Miami University - Oxford came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large school located in Oxford, Ohio that handed out 56 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Full Miami University - Oxford Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #11, Adrian College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Adrian is a small school located in Adrian, Michigan that handed out 4 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Adrian College Area Studies Report
Hillsdale College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Hillsdale College is located in Hillsdale, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Read more about Area Studies at Hillsdale College
University of Notre Dame landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of Notre Dame
Carthage College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Carthage College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It awarded 4 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Carthage
Saint Norbert College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. SNC is a small private not-for-profit school situated in De Pere, Wisconsin. It awarded 3 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at Saint Norbert College
Ohio Wesleyan University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Delaware, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Area Studies at Ohio Wesleyan University
Valparaiso University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Valpo is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Valparaiso, Indiana. It awarded 5 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Valpo Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #18, University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UM Dearborn is a medium-sized school located in Dearborn, Michigan that handed out 10 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at UM Dearborn
Augustana College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Augustana is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 3 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Augustana Area Studies Report
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Bradley University ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Peoria, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Area Studies at Bradley
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Area Studies at UW - Eau Claire
Hope College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Holland, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Full Hope College Area Studies Report
University of Rio Grande ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Rio Grande, Ohio, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Full University of Rio Grande Area Studies Report
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW Oshkosh is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Full University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Area Studies Report
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