by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 4 U.S. colleges awarded 12 degrees and certificates in Southeast Asian Studies. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 92% of graduates. Graduates earn a median $37,815 one year after completing, rising to $62,342 after four years.
A major in Southeast Asian Studies explores Southeast Asian Studies. A Program That Focuses On The History, Society, Politics, Culture, And Economics Of One Or More Of The Peoples Of Southeast Asia, Defined As Including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, And Viet Nam; Related Borderlands And Island Groups; And Including The Study Of Migration Patterns And Overseas Diasporas.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Across the country, southeast asian studies is a widely-pursued major, with 12 degrees awarded annually. 4 colleges award southeast asian studies degrees, an average of 3 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 7.
By level, the 12 awards include 1 bachelor’s degrees and 11 master’s degrees.
Women earned 92% of southeast asian studies degrees and certificates in the latest year (11 of 12). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (4) and Asian (4), and international students earned 2.
The most common southeast asian studies credential is the master’s degree: 11 of the 12 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to southeast asian studies call most for Reading Comprehension, Speaking and Instructing, and for knowledge of Education and Training, English Language and Sociology and Anthropology, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Oral Expression, Written Expression and Oral Comprehension.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a southeast asian studies degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 1 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 11 |
Doctoral degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to southeast asian studies, at 60.5%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | 60.5% |
| Master’s degree | 31.0% |
| Post-doctoral training | 4.0% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 3.2% |
| First professional degree | 1.1% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 0.2% |
Source: O*NET Online.
1 occupations are related to Southeast Asian Studies, with an average median salary of $47,517; the strongest outlook belongs to Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary, at 6.5% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Women’s Studies Professor, Ethnology Teacher, Gender Studies Professor and Professor.
That occupation also has the most projected jobs of any related to southeast asian studies, at 718,152.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 718,152 | 6.5% |
Southeast Asian Studies graduates earn a median $37,815 one year after completing their program, $62,342 after four years and $64,509 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $37,815 |
| 4 years | $62,342 |
| 5 years | $64,509 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The same occupation is also the highest-paying one related to southeast asian studies, with a median salary of $47,517.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | $47,517 |
Southeast Asian Studies has 29 similar majors in the Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies field, which together award 6,091 degrees a year; the largest are American/United States Studies/Civilization (1,217), Regional Studies (U.S., Canadian, Foreign) (785) and Asian Studies/Civilization (693). Browse all Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| American/United States Studies/Civilization | 1,217 |
| Regional Studies (U.S., Canadian, Foreign) | 785 |
| Asian Studies/Civilization | 693 |
| Area Studies, Other | 620 |
| East Asian Studies | 559 |
| Latin American Studies | 502 |
| Near and Middle Eastern Studies | 318 |
| African Studies | 206 |
| European Studies/Civilization | 177 |
| French Studies | 159 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.