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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Area Studies in New York

48 Ranked Colleges
685 Degrees Awarded
$32,800 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York” 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 New York, there were 685 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,568 and $21,710 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York” ranking analyzed 48 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.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York

The colleges and universities below are the best for new york area studies students.

1
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend New York University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 118 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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.

Full New York University Area Studies Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York. Columbia is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 121 ’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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 Columbia

3
Fordham U crest
Fordham University
Bronx, New York

Out of the 48 schools in the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, Fordham University landed the #3 spot on the list. Fordham University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Bronx, New York. It awarded 59 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Fordham University Area Studies Report

4
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cornell University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York. Cornell University is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 49 ’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. 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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Cornell University

5
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Barnard College. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York. Barnard is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 36 ’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%. 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.

Read full report on Area Studies at Barnard College

6
UAlbany crest
University at Albany
Albany, New York

University at Albany did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York ranking, coming in at #6. University at Albany is a fairly large public school situated in Albany, New York. It awarded 26 ’s area studies degrees 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%.

Full University at Albany Area Studies Report

7
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York ranking. SUNY Stony Brook is a large public school situated in Stony Brook, New York. It awarded 23 ’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 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%.

Read more about Area Studies at Stony Brook University

8
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, New York

Colgate University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York ranking. Hamilton, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 22 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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.

Read full report on Area Studies at Colgate University

9

Hobart and William Smith Colleges came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York ranking. Hobart and William Smith Colleges is a private not-for-profit institution located in Geneva, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 ’s 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.

Read more about Area Studies at Hobart and William Smith Colleges

10
Binghamton University crest
Binghamton University
Vestal, New York

With a ranking of #10, Binghamton University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York list. Binghamton University is located in Vestal, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

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%. 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 Binghamton University Area Studies Report

10
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York ranking. Vassar College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Poughkeepsie, New York. It awarded 17 ’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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 93%.

Read more about Area Studies at Vassar College

12
SUNY New Paltz crest
SUNY New Paltz
New Paltz, New York

SUNY New Paltz came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York ranking. Located in New Paltz, New York, this medium-sized public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, 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.

Read full report on Area Studies at SUNY New Paltz

13
Skidmore crest
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, New York

Skidmore College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York ranking, coming in at #13. Skidmore College is a small school located in Saratoga Springs, New York that handed out 13 ’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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Area Studies at Skidmore

13
Hamilton crest
Hamilton College
Clinton, New York

Hamilton College ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York list. Hamilton is located in Clinton, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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. 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 Hamilton Area Studies Report

15
University at Buffalo crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York

With a ranking of #15, University at Buffalo did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York list. Located in Buffalo, New York, this large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students 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%. 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 University at Buffalo

15
Houghton crest
Houghton College
Houghton, New York

With a ranking of #15, Houghton College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York list. Houghton College is a small school located in Houghton, New York that handed out 12 ’s area studies degrees 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 more about Area Studies at Houghton

15
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

Queens College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York ranking, coming in at #15. This fairly large school is located in Queens, New York, and it awarded 12 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at QC

18
SUNY Old Westbury crest
SUNY Old Westbury
Old Westbury, New York

SUNY Old Westbury ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York list. Old Westbury, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 10 students 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%.

Full SUNY Old Westbury Area Studies Report

19
Fisher crest
St. John Fisher College
Rochester, New York

With a ranking of #19, St. John Fisher College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York list. Fisher is a small school located in Rochester, New York that handed out 9 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full St. John Fisher College Area Studies Report

20
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York

Lehman College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in Bronx, New York, and it awarded 7 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Lehman Area Studies Report

21
The Graduate Center crest
The Graduate Center, CUNY
New York, New York

The Graduate Center, CUNY landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York ranking. Located in New York, New York, this medium-sized public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 more about Area Studies at The Graduate Center

22

The City College of New York landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York ranking. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 5 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at The City College of New York

22
Union College crest
Union College New York
Schenectady, New York

Union College New York ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York list. Union College is a small school located in Schenectady, New York that handed out 5 ’s area studies 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%. 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 88%.

Read more about Area Studies at Union College New York

22

John Jay College of Criminal Justice ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York list. John Jay College of Criminal Justice is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 5 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full John Jay College of Criminal Justice Area Studies Report

22
Siena crest
Siena College
Loudonville, New York

With a ranking of #22, Siena College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in New York list. Siena College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Loudonville, New York. 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 90%. 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 Siena College Area Studies Report

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