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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies

46 Ranked Colleges
244 Degrees Awarded
$33,900 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major” 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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 244 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major” ranking, we looked at 46 colleges that offer a degree 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.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree area studies students.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is located in Fort-Worth, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 doctorate’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

2
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 46 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #2 spot on the list. Harvard University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 27 doctorate’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Harvard

3
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Princeton University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major. Princeton, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s area studies degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Area Studies at Princeton University

4
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend William & Mary. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, this medium-sized public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area Studies at William & Mary

5
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Out of the 46 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Brown University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified doctorate’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Area Studies at Brown University

6
Howard crest
Howard University
Washington, District of Columbia

Howard University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read more about Area Studies at Howard

7

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking, coming in at #7. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Bowling Green, Ohio that handed out 7 doctorate’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Area Studies at BGSU

8
Brandeis crest
Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #8, Brandeis University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Brandeis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waltham, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read more about Area Studies at Brandeis University

9

University of New Mexico - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. UNM is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 doctorate’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Area Studies at UNM

10
Tulane crest
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana

Tulane University of Louisiana landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Tulane is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Orleans, Louisiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Tulane University of Louisiana

11
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. University of Arizona is a large school located in Tucson, Arizona that handed out 11 doctorate’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Area Studies at University of Arizona

12
Rutgers Newark crest
Rutgers University - Newark
Newark, New Jersey

Rutgers University - Newark ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Rutgers Newark is located in Newark, New Jersey and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 doctorate’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Area Studies at Rutgers University - Newark

13
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Yale University is a fairly large school located in New Haven, Connecticut that handed out 3 doctorate’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Yale University Area Studies Report

14

University of Hawaii at Manoa landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. UH Manoa is a fairly large public school situated in Honolulu, Hawaii. It awarded 3 doctorate’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%.

Full University of Hawaii at Manoa Area Studies Report

15

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s area studies degrees to 11 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.

Read more about Area Studies at The University of Texas at Austin

16
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking, coming in at #16. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 3 doctorate’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Area Studies at Stanford

17

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s area studies degrees to 7 students 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%. 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 U-M

18
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

With a ranking of #18, New York University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. NYU is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 doctorate’s area studies degrees to qualified 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full New York University Area Studies Report

19
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Boston University Area Studies Report

20
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #20, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Area Studies at IU Bloomington

21
University at Buffalo crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York

University at Buffalo ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. This large school is located in Buffalo, New York, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 University at Buffalo Area Studies Report

22
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 4 doctorate’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus

23
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis University ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s area studies degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Saint Louis University

24

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s area studies degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at UMN Twin Cities

25
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking, coming in at #25. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Area Studies at Cornell University

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