2026 Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the The Plains States Region
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender 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.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 70 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies in the The Plains States Region
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, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies
No school ranked higher than University Of Kansas this year for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies. Located in the city of Lawrence, University Of Kansas is a very large public university. About 69% of students finish within six years. About 53 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees were awarded at University Of Kansas in the most recent year. Students who receive their area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree from University Of Kansas earn around $56,289 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,608.
See the full area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program report for University Of Kansas
A rank of #2 makes Iowa State University one of the top schools for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies. This very large public university is located in the city of Ames. About 75% of students finish within six years. About 10 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees were awarded at Iowa State University in the most recent year. Graduates of the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program make about $53,900 in their early career. Iowa State University graduates carry a median of $23,495 in student loans.
Get the full area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies details for Iowa State University
University Of Missouri Columbia is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of Missouri Columbia is a very large public school located in the city of Columbia. The six-year graduation rate is 75%. About 1,398 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees were awarded at University Of Missouri Columbia in the most recent year. Graduates of the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program make about $39,269 in their early career. University Of Missouri Columbia graduates carry a median of $23,988 in student loans.
See the full area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program report for University Of Missouri Columbia
Washington University In St Louis came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. Washington University In St Louis is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of St. Louis. Roughly 94% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 44 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees were awarded at Washington University In St Louis in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from Washington University In St Louis generally make around $29,261. Students borrow a median of $17,553 to complete this degree.
Read more about the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program at Washington University In St Louis
Students looking for a strong area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program will find one at University Of Iowa, which ranked #5. University Of Iowa is a very large public school located in the city of Iowa City. About 75% of students finish within six years. University Of Iowa awarded about 60 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees in the most recent data year. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates of University Of Iowa earn a median of $23,806 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $26,952 to complete this degree.
See the full area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program report for University Of Iowa
University Of Minnesota Twin Cities ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. Located in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public university. Roughly 85% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities awarded about 32 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program make about $33,000 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $21,964 to complete this degree.
Get the full area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies details for University Of Minnesota Twin Cities
Minnesota State University Mankato landed the #7 spot for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies this year. Located in the city of Mankato, Minnesota State University Mankato is a large public university. Minnesota State University Mankato graduates 54% of students within six years. There were roughly 23 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students who graduated with this degree at Minnesota State University Mankato in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from Minnesota State University Mankato generally make around $53,088. Students borrow a median of $24,585 to complete this degree.
See the full area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program report for Minnesota State University Mankato
Haskell Indian Nations University came in at #8 for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies this year. Located in the city of Lawrence, Haskell Indian Nations University is a small public university. There were roughly 22 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students who graduated with this degree at Haskell Indian Nations University in the most recent data year. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates of Haskell Indian Nations University earn a median of $23,887 early in their careers.
See the full area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program report for Haskell Indian Nations University
Oglala Lakota College came in at #9 for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies this year. Set in the rural area of Kyle, Oglala Lakota College is a small public institution. About 9% of students finish within six years. About 53 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees were awarded at Oglala Lakota College in the most recent year.
More information about a degree in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies from Oglala Lakota College
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 70 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.
