2023 Most Popular Master’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies
123
Ranked Colleges
1,450
Degrees Awarded
$46,380
Avg Salary
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 for a Master’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,450 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s” ranking analyzed 123 colleges that offered a degree in area studies. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in area studies.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 for a Master’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree area studies students.
Top 25 Most Popular Master’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s list. Located in Fort-Worth, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 482 diplomas to qualified masters’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Out of the 123 schools in the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgetown University landed the #2 spot on the list. Georgetown is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 106 masters’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national 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 Georgetown Area Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend New York University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s. New York University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 62 masters’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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 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. 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%.
Read full report on Area Studies at NYU
Out of the 123 schools in the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #4 spot on the list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s area studies degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.
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 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%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Harvard University
Out of the 123 schools in the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 50 diplomas to qualified masters’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York
The University of Texas at Austin came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school handed out 34 diplomas to qualified masters’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Area Studies at UT Austin
With a ranking of #7, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified masters’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read more about Area Studies at UW Seattle
University of Chicago landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s ranking. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 30 masters’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at University of Chicago
Stanford University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s ranking. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 masters’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Area Studies at Stanford University
Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 26 degrees to qualified masters’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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read more about Area Studies at IU Bloomington
Yale University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s list. Yale University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Haven, Connecticut. It awarded 24 masters’s area studies degrees 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 Yale University
Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in Athens, Ohio, this large public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified masters’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Area Studies at OHIO Athens
Brown University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified masters’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. 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.
Full Brown Area Studies Report
University of Arizona ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s list. University of Arizona is a large school located in Tucson, Arizona that handed out 18 masters’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%.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of Arizona
University of Southern California landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s ranking. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 masters’s 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 USC
University of San Francisco landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s ranking. USFCA is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 masters’s 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%.
Read more about Area Studies at USFCA
California State University - Los Angeles came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified masters’s area studies students 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 California State University - Los Angeles
University of Hawaii at Manoa did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #18. University of Hawaii at Manoa is a fairly large public school situated in Honolulu, Hawaii. It awarded 15 masters’s area studies degrees 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 UH Manoa
Florida International University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s ranking. Florida International University is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 14 masters’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.
Full Florida International University Area Studies Report
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 masters’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Area Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Duke University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s ranking. Duke University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 12 masters’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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 97%. 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 full report on Area Studies at Duke University
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified masters’s area studies students 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Area Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison
University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s ranking. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It awarded 12 masters’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Area Studies at University of New Mexico - Main Campus
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 11 masters’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at U-M
University of California - Los Angeles landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Master’s ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 11 masters’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Area Studies at UCLA
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