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2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for African American Studies

28 Ranked Colleges
72 Degrees Awarded
$34,100 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on African American Studies Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 1,196 people earned their degree in African American studies, making the major the 389th most popular in the United States.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 72 African American studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major” ranking, we looked at 28 colleges that offer a degree in African American studies. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their African American studies program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank African American Studies Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree african american studies students.

Top 28 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for African American Studies

1
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major list. Yale University is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read more about African American Studies at Yale University

2
CAU crest
Clark Atlanta University
Atlanta, Georgia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Clark Atlanta University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major list. CAU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 2 masters’s African American studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about African American Studies at Clark Atlanta University

3
Morgan State crest
Morgan State University
Baltimore, Maryland

Out of the 28 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Morgan State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Morgan State is a medium-sized school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 3 masters’s African American studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on African American Studies at Morgan State

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 15 masters’s African American studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on African American Studies at UCLA

5
UMass Amherst crest
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Massachusetts Amherst. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major. This large school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 8 masters’s African American studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UMass Amherst African American Studies Report

6
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Northwestern African American Studies Report

7
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia State University ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major list. Georgia State is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Georgia State University African American Studies Report

8

Florida International University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. FIU is a large school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 5 masters’s African American 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full Florida International University African American Studies Report

9
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking, coming in at #9. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 masters’s African American studies degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on African American Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington

10

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 3 masters’s African American studies degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on African American Studies at Columbia

11

University of California - Berkeley landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 3 masters’s African American studies degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on African American Studies at University of California - Berkeley

12
UAlbany crest
University at Albany
Albany, New York

University at Albany landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. UAlbany is a fairly large public school situated in Albany, New York. It awarded 1 masters’s African American studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UAlbany African American Studies Report

13

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about African American Studies at UWM

14
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. Cornell is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 1 masters’s African American studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Full Cornell University African American Studies Report

15
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

With a ranking of #15, Stony Brook University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major list. SUNY Stony Brook is located in Stony Brook, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 masters’s African American studies degrees to qualified students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about African American Studies at Stony Brook University

16
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

With a ranking of #16, New York University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s African American studies degrees to 2 students 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%. 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 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.

Read full report on African American Studies at New York University

17
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major list. Harvard is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 1 masters’s African American studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on African American Studies at Harvard University

18
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. Temple is a public institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 Temple African American Studies Report

19

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major list. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 1 masters’s African American 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about African American Studies at Ohio State

20
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. Newark, Delaware is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s African American studies degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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 90%.

Read full report on African American Studies at UD

20
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. University of Pennsylvania is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 10 masters’s African American studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 African American Studies at University of Pennsylvania

20
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

With a ranking of #20, Eastern Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major list. Eastern Michigan University is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 masters’s African American studies degrees to qualified students.

Full Eastern Michigan University African American Studies Report

20
UofL crest
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky

University of Louisville came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. Located in Louisville, Kentucky, this large public school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified masters’s African American studies students 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%.

Read full report on African American Studies at University of Louisville

20
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

With a ranking of #20, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major list. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 4 masters’s African American studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on African American Studies at University of Iowa

20
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 4 masters’s African American studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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 91%.

Read more about African American Studies at Michigan State University

20

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s African American studies degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full The University of Texas at Austin African American Studies Report

20
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking, coming in at #20. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 0 masters’s African American studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about African American Studies at Boston U

20

With a ranking of #20, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on African American Studies Major list. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 13 masters’s African American studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on African American Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison

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