by our College Data Analytics Team
[Ethnic Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/ethnic-studies/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
College Factual analyzed 14 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying ethnic studies schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send ethnic studies graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
University Of Georgia tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying ethnic studies schools in the Southeast Region. Set in the city of Athens, University Of Georgia is a public institution. Ethnic Studies graduates of University Of Georgia earn a median of about $63,173 a year early in their careers.
University Of South Florida Main Campus produces some of the highest-paid graduates in ethnic studies, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Tampa, University Of South Florida Main Campus is a public institution. Early-career ethnic studies graduates from University Of South Florida Main Campus make a median of around $50,179 per year.
A rank of #3 makes University Of South Carolina Columbia one of the highest-paying schools for ethnic studies. Set in the city of Columbia, University Of South Carolina Columbia is a public institution. Ethnic Studies graduates of University Of South Carolina Columbia earn a median of about $47,912 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #4 makes University Of Virginia Main Campus one of the highest-paying schools for ethnic studies. University Of Virginia Main Campus is a public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville. Students who complete the ethnic studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $58,297.
Strong graduate earnings at College Of Charleston earned it the #5 place for ethnic studies. Set in the city of Charleston, College Of Charleston is a public institution. Ethnic Studies graduates of College Of Charleston earn a median of about $42,787 a year early in their careers.
University Of North Carolina At Charlotte placed #6 among the highest-paying schools for ethnic studies. University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a public school located in the city of Charlotte. Early-career ethnic studies graduates from University Of North Carolina At Charlotte make a median of around $43,026 per year.
Virginia Commonwealth University came in at #7 for ethnic studies graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University is a public institution. Early-career ethnic studies graduates from Virginia Commonwealth University make a median of around $51,484 per year.
University Of Florida placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for ethnic studies. University Of Florida is a public school located in the city of Gainesville. After graduating, ethnic studies degree recipients from University Of Florida typically earn about $52,141 annually.
Spelman College ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying ethnic studies schools. Set in the city of Atlanta, Spelman College is a private not-for-profit institution. Ethnic Studies graduates of Spelman College earn a median of about $48,561 a year early in their careers.
University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill came in at #10 for ethnic studies graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a public institution. After graduating, ethnic studies degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill typically earn about $49,010 annually.
University Of North Carolina At Greensboro earned the #11 position for ethnic studies graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Greensboro, University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a public institution. Ethnic Studies graduates of University Of North Carolina At Greensboro earn a median of about $38,469 a year early in their careers.
University Of Louisville ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying ethnic studies schools. Located in the city of Louisville, University Of Louisville is a public institution. After graduating, ethnic studies degree recipients from University Of Louisville typically earn about $29,990 annually.
Georgia State University ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying ethnic studies schools. Georgia State University is a public school located in the city of Atlanta. Students who complete the ethnic studies program here go on to a median salary of roughly $27,932.
Florida Atlantic University came in at #14 for ethnic studies graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Boca Raton, Florida Atlantic University is a public institution. Ethnic Studies graduates of Florida Atlantic University earn a median of about $22,286 a year early in their careers.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their ethnic studies graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 14 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.