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2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region

73 Ranked Colleges
$32,500 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region

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 Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2021-2022, 6,257 people earned their degree in area studies, making the major the 115th most popular in the United States. In , area studies graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $33,127 and had an average of $22,500 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 704 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,342 and $25,269 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 73 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.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region”.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Area Studies in the Great Lakes Region

1
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Oberlin College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region. Oberlin College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Oberlin, Ohio. It awarded 35 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Read more about Area Studies at Oberlin College

2
Earlham crest
Earlham College
Richmond, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Earlham College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Richmond, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 Earlham College

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The College of Wooster. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Wooster, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 8 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 The College of Wooster Area Studies Report

4
Wittenberg crest
Wittenberg University
Springfield, Ohio

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wittenberg University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Wittenberg University is located in Springfield, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

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 more about Area Studies at Wittenberg University

5
Siena Heights University crest
Siena Heights University
Adrian, Michigan

Out of the 73 schools in the Schools 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 a small school located in Adrian, Michigan that handed out 7 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 Siena Heights University

6
K College crest
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Kalamazoo College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. Kalamazoo, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 7 students in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, 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 85%.

Read full report on Area Studies at K College

7
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Lake Forest is a small school located in Lake Forest, Illinois that handed out 3 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area Studies at Lake Forest

8
Knox crest
Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Knox is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 6 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Knox

9
Lawrence U crest
Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin

Lawrence University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. This small school is located in Appleton, Wisconsin, and it awarded 7 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 more about Area Studies at Lawrence University

10

With a ranking of #10, Miami University - Oxford did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Miami University - Oxford is located in Oxford, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 30 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Miami University - Oxford

11
Adrian crest
Adrian College
Adrian, Michigan

Adrian College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #11. This small school is located in Adrian, Michigan, and it awarded 2 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Adrian College

12
Hillsdale College crest
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, Michigan

Hillsdale College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Hillsdale College is a small school located in Hillsdale, Michigan that handed out 2 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Area Studies at Hillsdale College

13
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 43 students in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%.

Full UChicago Area Studies Report

14
Valpo crest
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, Indiana

Valparaiso University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Valparaiso, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 Valparaiso University

15
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 22 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Full Notre Dame Area Studies Report

16
Carthage crest
Carthage College
Kenosha, Wisconsin

Carthage College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Carthage is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Carthage Area Studies Report

17
SNC crest
Saint Norbert College
De Pere, Wisconsin

Saint Norbert College ranked #17 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in De Pere, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at SNC

18

Ohio Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. OWU is a small school located in Delaware, Ohio that handed out 3 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read full report on Area Studies at OWU

19

With a ranking of #19, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 46 students in 2021-2022.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full U-M Area Studies Report

20

University of Michigan - Dearborn did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. University of Michigan - Dearborn is a medium-sized school located in Dearborn, Michigan that handed out 4 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at UM Dearborn

21

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. BGSU is a fairly large school located in Bowling Green, Ohio that handed out 24 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

22

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 32 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Area Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington

23
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

With a ranking of #23, Augustana College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Augustana is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 1 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Augustana College

24

Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region list. OHIO Athens is a public institution located in Athens, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 34 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 OHIO Athens

25
Bradley crest
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 6 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Bradley University Area Studies Report

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