2023 Most Focused Colleges for Area Studies in the Plains States Region
34
Ranked Colleges
307
Degrees Awarded
$29,100
Avg Cost*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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 Plains States region, there were 307 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,952 and $25,098 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 34 colleges that offer a degree in area studies. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in area studies.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Plains States Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region”.
Top 34 Most Focused Colleges for Area Studies in the Plains States Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend St Olaf College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region. St Olaf College is located in Northfield, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Full St Olaf College Area Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Carleton College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region. Carleton is a small school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 15 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Carleton College Area Studies Report
Out of the 34 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #3 spot on the list. Saint Peter, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, 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 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Gustavus Adolphus College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Coe College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region. This small school is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and it awarded 5 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Coe
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Macalester College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Saint Paul, Minnesota 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 2020-2021.
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 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 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Macalester
With a ranking of #6, Saint Johns University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. SJU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Collegeville, Minnesota. It awarded 4 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Saint Johns University
University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Mizzou is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 70 ’s area studies degrees 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Area Studies at Mizzou
College of Saint Benedict landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Saint Joseph, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
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 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at CSB
Washington University in St Louis landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 35 ’s area studies degrees 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 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Area Studies at WUSTL
With a ranking of #10, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school handed out 38 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Kansas Area Studies Report
University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. UMN Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UMN Duluth Area Studies Report
University of Minnesota - Morris ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Morris, Minnesota, this small public school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students 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%.
Full University of Minnesota - Morris Area Studies Report
University of Iowa ranked #13 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Area Studies at Iowa
Saint Louis University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Saint Louis University Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #15, Saint Ambrose University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Saint Ambrose University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Davenport, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at St. Ambrose University
Iowa State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Iowa State is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Area Studies at Iowa State
With a ranking of #17, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. UNOMAHA is a fairly large public school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 5 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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 University of Nebraska at Omaha Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #18, Creighton University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Creighton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Creighton University Area Studies Report
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 12 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Area Studies Report
Minnesota State University - Moorhead landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Moorhead, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students 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 MSU Moorhead Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #21, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. This fairly large school is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and it awarded 2 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at University of North Dakota
Minnesota State University - Mankato ranked #22 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a public institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Minnesota State University - Mankato
University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This large school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it awarded 1 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UNL Area Studies Report
Hamline University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #24. Hamline is a small school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%.
Full Hamline Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #24, Cornell College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Cornell College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Mount Vernon, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at Cornell College
Augustana University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Augustana Sioux Falls is a small school located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota that handed out 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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 Augustana University
Columbia College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Columbia College Missouri is a private not-for-profit institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 0 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Area Studies at Columbia College Missouri
With a ranking of #24, Presentation College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Presentation College is located in Aberdeen, South Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 0 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Read more about Area Studies at Presentation College
Saint Cloud State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Cloud State University is a fairly large school located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota that handed out 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at St. Cloud State University
University of Jamestown came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Jamestown, North Dakota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 0 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UJ Area Studies Report
Augsburg University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #24. Augsburg is a private not-for-profit institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Area Studies at Augsburg
Luther College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Luther College is a small school located in Decorah, Iowa that handed out 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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 more about Area Studies at Luther College
Bethany Lutheran College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Mankato, Minnesota, and it awarded 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full BLC Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #24, Webster University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Webster University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 0 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Webster
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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