2027 Best Area Studies Schools in North Carolina

Area Studies programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools to find the best for area studies students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Area Studies Schools in North Carolina

Best Schools for Area Studies in North Carolina

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

1

Duke University
Durham, NC

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

47 Area Studies Degrees Awarded

$83,388 Median Starting Salary

Leading the list is Duke University, our #1 school for area studies. Set in the city of Durham, Duke University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 97% of students complete a degree within six years here. Duke University awarded about 47 area studies degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, area studies degree recipients from Duke University generally make around $83,388. Duke University graduates carry a median of $13,296 in student loans. See the full area studies program report for Duke University

2

University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

107 Area Studies Degrees Awarded

$31,955 Median Starting Salary

University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best area studies schools. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the city of Chapel Hill. About 91% of students finish within six years. About 107 area studies degrees were awarded at University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill in the most recent year. Area Studies graduates of University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earn a median of $31,955 early in their careers. University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill graduates carry a median of $13,000 in student loans. More information about a degree in area studies from University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 2 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.