2026 Best Area Studies Schools in Pennsylvania
Area Studies degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 43 schools to find the best for area studies students.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Area Studies in Pennsylvania
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the area studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Area Studies
No school ranked higher than Franklin And Marshall College this year for area studies. Franklin And Marshall College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lancaster. About 84% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 10 area studies students who graduated with this degree at Franklin And Marshall College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their area studies degree from Franklin And Marshall College earn around $43,020 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $20,411.
Read more about the area studies program at Franklin And Marshall College
University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best area studies schools. University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Pittsburgh. University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus graduates 86% of students within six years. About 139 area studies degrees were awarded at University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus in the most recent year. Area Studies graduates of University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus earn a median of $56,926 early in their careers. University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus graduates carry a median of $24,958 in student loans.
Read more about the area studies program at University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus
Students looking for a strong area studies program will find one at Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania, which ranked #3. Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Slippery Rock. Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania graduates 66% of students within six years. About 22 area studies degrees were awarded at Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania in the most recent year. Students who receive their area studies degree from Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania earn around $44,294 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $24,395 to complete this degree.
See the full area studies program report for Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania
A rank of #4 makes Dickinson College one of the top schools for area studies. Set in the city of Carlisle, Dickinson College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 80%. Dickinson College awarded about 22 area studies degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, area studies degree recipients from Dickinson College generally make around $32,722. Dickinson College graduates carry a median of $19,802 in student loans.
More information about a degree in area studies from Dickinson College
More Area Studies Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 43 schools evaluated.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
