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2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in Massachusetts

26 Ranked Colleges
303 Degrees Awarded
$35,357 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor's

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s” 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 Massachusetts, there were 424 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,357 and $17,306 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 303 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $44,029 and $25,475 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 26 colleges that offer a degree in area studies. To top this list, a school must have a successful area studies program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s”.

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.

Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s”.

1
Brandeis crest
Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brandeis University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 64 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students 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 freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Read more about Area Studies at Brandeis University

2
Smith crest
Smith College
Northampton, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Smith College. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s. Smith College is located in Northampton, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

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%.

Full Smith College Area Studies Report

3
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Tufts University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Tufts Area Studies Report

4
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Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s list. Williams is a private not-for-profit institution located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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 more about Area Studies at Williams College

5
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Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts

Out of the 26 schools in the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Wellesley College landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Area Studies at Wellesley

6
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Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, Massachusetts

Mount Holyoke College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s ranking. Mount Holyoke College is a small school located in South Hadley, Massachusetts that handed out 17 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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. 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%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Mt. Holyoke

7
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Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #7. Boston University is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Full Boston University Area Studies Report

8
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Stonehill College
Easton, Massachusetts

Stonehill College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Easton, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Stonehill Area Studies Report

8

University of Massachusetts - Boston ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s list. University of Massachusetts - Boston is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Area Studies at UMass Boston

10
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s ranking. Harvard University is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 12 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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 5 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 Harvard

10
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Amherst College
Amherst, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #10, Amherst College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Area Studies at Amherst College

12
Holy Cross crest
College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #12, College of the Holy Cross did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s list. Holy Cross is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Worcester, Massachusetts. It awarded 10 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Full Holy Cross Area Studies Report

13

University of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, this large public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMass Amherst Area Studies Report

14
Wheaton College Massachusetts crest
Wheaton College Massachusetts
Norton, Massachusetts

Wheaton College Massachusetts came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Norton, Massachusetts, and it awarded 6 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 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Wheaton College Massachusetts

15
Clark crest
Clark University
Worcester, Massachusetts

Clark University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #15. Clark is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Worcester, Massachusetts. It awarded 5 bachelors’s area studies degrees 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 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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Area Studies at Clark University

16
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Simmons University
Boston, Massachusetts

Simmons University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 Simmons

17
Northeastern crest
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #17, Northeastern University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s list. Northeastern University is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 3 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Northeastern University

17
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Hampshire College
Amherst, Massachusetts

Hampshire College ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s list. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

Full Hampshire Area Studies Report

19
Assumption crest
Assumption University
Worcester, Massachusetts

Assumption University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #19. This small school is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Assumption Area Studies Report

19

University of Massachusetts - Lowell landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s ranking. Lowell, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 2 students 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%.

Read full report on Area Studies at UMass Lowell

19
Springfield College crest
Springfield College
Springfield, Massachusetts

Springfield College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s ranking. Springfield College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Springfield, Massachusetts. It awarded 2 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Area Studies at Springfield College

22
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s ranking. Boston College is a fairly large school located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that handed out 1 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Boston College

22
Western New England crest
Western New England University
Springfield, Massachusetts

Western New England University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Springfield, Massachusetts, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Western New England Area Studies Report

22
Simon's Rock crest
Bard College at Simon's Rock
Great Barrington, Massachusetts

Bard College at Simon’s Rock landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s ranking. Bard College at Simon’s Rock is a small school located in Great Barrington, Massachusetts that handed out 1 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Area Studies at Simon’s Rock

25
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Suffolk University
Boston, Massachusetts

Suffolk University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #25. Suffolk University is a medium-sized school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 0 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Suffolk

25
Emmanuel Boston crest
Emmanuel College Massachusetts
Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #25, Emmanuel College Massachusetts did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Massachusetts for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 0 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Emmanuel College Massachusetts

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