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2024 Best Area Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Massachusetts

9 Colleges in Massachusetts
303 Bachelor's Degrees
$35,357 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on getting your bachelor's degree in area studies, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #85 in the country in terms of popularity. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 9 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Area Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Massachusetts ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 303 bachelor's degrees in area studies during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Area Studies School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Area Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Massachusetts The area studies bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality area studies program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for area studies students working on their bachelor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Area Studies Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Area Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Massachusetts list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Area Studies in Massachusetts

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in area studies.

10 Top Massachusetts Schools for a Bachelor's in Area Studies

1
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA
23 Annual Graduates
$36,749 Median Starting Salary
$9,525 Median Student Debt

Every student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in area studies has to check out Wellesley College. Located in the large suburb of Wellesley, Wellesley is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the area studies program earn about $36,749 for their early career.

More information about a bachelor’s in area studies from Wellesley College

2
64 Annual Graduates
$38,853 Median Starting Salary
$26,000 Median Student Debt

Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in area studies needs to take a look at Brandeis University. Located in the small city of Waltham, Brandeis is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the area studies major at Brandeis University earn $3,496 more than the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in area studies from Brandeis University

3
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA

Tufts University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in area studies. Tufts is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Medford.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the area studies program state that they receive average early career wages of $33,157.

More information about a bachelor’s in area studies from Tufts University

4
Amherst crest
Amherst College
Amherst, MA
12 Annual Graduates

It is difficult to beat Amherst College if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in area studies. Amherst is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Amherst.More information about a bachelor’s in area studies from Amherst College

5
Smith crest
Smith College
Northampton, MA
34 Annual Graduates
$30,077 Median Starting Salary
$19,000 Median Student Debt

Smith is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Northampton.

After graduation, area studies bachelor's recipients usually make about $30,077 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in area studies from Smith College

6
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, MA

Located in the town of Williamstown, Williams is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the area studies major at Williams College get $2,591 more than the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in area studies from Williams College

7
6 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Norton, Wheaton College Massachusetts is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in area studies from Wheaton College Massachusetts

8
Mt. Holyoke crest
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, MA
17 Annual Graduates

Mt. Holyoke is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of South Hadley.More information about a bachelor’s in area studies from Mount Holyoke College

8
8 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Amherst, UMass Amherst is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in area studies from University of Massachusetts Amherst

9
13 Annual Graduates

UMass Boston is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Boston.More information about a bachelor’s in area studies from University of Massachusetts - Boston

Best Area Studies Colleges in the New England Region

Explore all the Best Area Studies Colleges in the New England Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Connecticut 183 185
New Hampshire 157 60
Rhode Island 157 80
Maine 156 75
Vermont 155 45

View All Rankings >

Area Studies is one of 2 different types of Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies programs to choose from.

Area Studies Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
American U.S. Studies 90
Near & Middle Eastern Studies 46
East Asian Studies 40
Asian Studies 37
Latin American Studies 24
German Studies 13
Italian Studies 12
Russian Studies 11
Central & Eastern European Studies 9
Spanish & Iberian Studies 6

Related Major Annual Graduates
Ethnic Studies 252

Notes and References

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