2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Plains States Region
34
Ranked Colleges
261
Degrees Awarded
$31,952
Avg Salary
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s” 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.
Across the Plains States region, there were 307 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,952 and $25,098 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 261 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,046 and $29,021 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 34 colleges that offered a degree in area studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular area studies programs in the United States.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools
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 “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s”.
Top 34 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Plains States Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s. Mizzou is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 70 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at Mizzou
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend St Olaf College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Northfield, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.
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%. 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 full report on Area Studies at St Olaf College
Out of the 34 schools in the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington University in St Louis landed the #2 spot on the list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%. 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 WUSTL
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Kansas. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Lawrence, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 22 students 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Area Studies at University of Kansas
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 19 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 88%. 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%.
Read more about Area Studies at University of Iowa
Iowa State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 89%.
Read more about Area Studies at Iowa State
Carleton College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Carleton College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northfield, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read more about Area Studies at Carleton
University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
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%.
Full University of Minnesota - Duluth Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #8, Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Saint Peter, Minnesota, and it awarded 10 bachelors’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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Full Gustavus Adolphus Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #10, Macalester College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Macalester is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
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%. 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.
Read more about Area Studies at Macalester College
University of Nebraska at Omaha came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. UNOMAHA is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
Full University of Nebraska at Omaha Area Studies Report
Coe College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Coe College is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Coe College
Saint Johns University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Saint Johns University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Collegeville, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full SJU Area Studies Report
Saint Louis University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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 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 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Saint Louis University Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #13, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. UMN Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 4 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 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 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Area Studies Report
College of Saint Benedict ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. College of Saint Benedict is a small school located in Saint Joseph, Minnesota that handed out 3 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. 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 College of Saint Benedict
Creighton University ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Creighton University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 Creighton
Saint Ambrose University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #18. Saint Ambrose University is a small school located in Davenport, Iowa that handed out 2 bachelors’s area studies 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%.
Full Saint Ambrose University Area Studies Report
University of North Dakota came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and it awarded 2 bachelors’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%.
Full UND Area Studies Report
Minnesota State University - Mankato came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a public institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at Minnesota State University - Mankato
University of Minnesota - Morris came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Morris, Minnesota, this small public school awarded 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 University of Minnesota - Morris
With a ranking of #20, University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is located in Lincoln, Nebraska and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
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%. 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 full report on Area Studies at UNL
With a ranking of #20, Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. MSU Moorhead is a public institution located in Moorhead, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees 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%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Minnesota State University - Moorhead
With a ranking of #24, Luther College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Decorah, Iowa, and it awarded 0 bachelors’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
Webster University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #24. Webster is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Webster
Hamline University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #24. This small school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at Hamline University
Augsburg University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 0 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
Full Augsburg University Area Studies Report
Bethany Lutheran College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Mankato, Minnesota, and it awarded 0 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 more about Area Studies at Bethany Lutheran College
Columbia College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Columbia College Missouri is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 0 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Columbia College Missouri Area Studies Report
Presentation College ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Presentation College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Area Studies at Presentation College
With a ranking of #24, Augustana University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Augustana University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s 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 full report on Area Studies at Augustana University
Saint Cloud State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Saint Cloud State University is a fairly large school located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota that handed out 0 bachelors’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 full report on Area Studies at Saint Cloud State University
With a ranking of #24, University of Jamestown did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. University of Jamestown is a private not-for-profit institution located in Jamestown, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of Jamestown
Cornell College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Mount Vernon, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 0 students 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 full report on Area Studies at Cornell College
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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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