College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Focused Colleges for Area Studies in the New England Region

53 Ranked Colleges
928 Degrees Awarded
$32,700 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Area Studies is the 115th most popular major in the country with 6,966 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 New England region, there were 928 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,429 and $16,672 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region” ranking analyzed 53 colleges that offered 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.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Area Studies Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 New England Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region

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

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Area Studies in the New England Region

1
Bowdoin crest
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, Maine

Out of the 53 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Bowdoin College landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Brunswick, Maine, and it awarded 51 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full Bowdoin Area Studies Report

2
Wesleyan U crest
Wesleyan University
Middletown, Connecticut

Out of the 53 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Wesleyan University landed the #2 spot on the list. Middletown, Connecticut is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 79 students in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 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 Wesleyan U

3
Conn College crest
Connecticut College
New London, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Connecticut College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region. Connecticut College is located in New London, Connecticut and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

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 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 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%.

Read more about Area Studies at Connecticut College

4
Trinity Bantams crest
Trinity College
Hartford, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Trinity College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region. This small school is located in Hartford, Connecticut, and it awarded 33 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Trinity Bantams

5
Smith crest
Smith College
Northampton, Massachusetts

Out of the 53 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Smith College landed the #5 spot on the list. Northampton, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 34 students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Smith Area Studies Report

6
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region ranking. Williams College is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, 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 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Area Studies at Williams

7
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University ranked #7 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region list. Brown is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 101 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 0.8% 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 Brown University

8
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont

Middlebury College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region ranking. This small school is located in Middlebury, Vermont, and it awarded 27 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Area Studies at Middlebury College

9
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts

Wellesley College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region ranking. This small school is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and it awarded 23 ’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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Wellesley College Area Studies Report

10
Brandeis crest
Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts

Brandeis University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region ranking. Brandeis is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Waltham, Massachusetts. It awarded 70 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read full report on Area Studies at Brandeis

11
Amherst crest
Amherst College
Amherst, Massachusetts

Amherst College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region ranking. Amherst College is located in Amherst, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

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 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Amherst Area Studies Report

12
Mt. Holyoke crest
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, Massachusetts

Mount Holyoke College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region ranking, coming in at #12. Mt. Holyoke is located in South Hadley, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s area studies degrees to qualified 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.

Read more about Area Studies at Mt. Holyoke

13
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

With a ranking of #13, Dartmouth College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region list. Hanover, New Hampshire is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Area Studies at Dartmouth

14
Colby crest
Colby College
Waterville, Maine

Colby College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region ranking, coming in at #14. Colby College is located in Waterville, Maine and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read more about Area Studies at Colby

15
Stonehill crest
Stonehill College
Easton, Massachusetts

Stonehill College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region ranking. Stonehill College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Easton, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Area Studies at Stonehill

16
Bates crest
Bates College
Lewiston, Maine

Bates College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region ranking. Bates is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lewiston, Maine. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.

Read more about Area Studies at Bates

17
Hampshire crest
Hampshire College
Amherst, Massachusetts

Hampshire College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region ranking. Hampshire College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Amherst, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Hampshire College Area Studies Report

18
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region list. New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 58 students 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Area Studies at Yale University

19
Wheaton College Massachusetts crest
Wheaton College Massachusetts
Norton, Massachusetts

Wheaton College Massachusetts ranked #19 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region list. Located in Norton, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students 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 1.5% 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%.

Full Wheaton College Massachusetts Area Studies Report

20
Holy Cross crest
College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, Massachusetts

College of the Holy Cross came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region ranking. College of the Holy Cross is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Worcester, Massachusetts. It awarded 10 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Area Studies at Holy Cross

21
Bennington crest
Bennington College
Bennington, Vermont

Bennington College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region ranking, coming in at #21. Bennington, Vermont is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Bennington College Area Studies Report

22
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University ranked #22 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region list. Harvard is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 94 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 Harvard

23
St. Anselm College crest
Saint Anselm College
Manchester, New Hampshire

Saint Anselm College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region ranking, coming in at #23. Saint Anselm College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Manchester, New Hampshire. It awarded 5 ’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 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Saint Anselm College

24
Simon's Rock crest
Bard College at Simon's Rock
Great Barrington, Massachusetts

Bard College at Simon’s Rock came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region ranking. Simon’s Rock is a small school located in Great Barrington, Massachusetts that handed out 1 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. 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.

Read full report on Area Studies at Simon’s Rock

25
Keene State crest
Keene State College
Keene, New Hampshire

Keene State College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the New England Region ranking, coming in at #25. Keene State College is located in Keene, New Hampshire and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Keene State

Switch to a More Focused Major

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options