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2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region

110 Ranked Colleges
$33,400 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2021-2022, 6,257 people earned their degree in area studies, making the major the 115th most popular in the United States. In , area studies graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $33,127 and had an average of $22,500 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Middle Atlantic region, there were 1,436 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,912 and $26,850 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking analyzed 110 colleges that offered a degree in area studies. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their area studies program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for middle atlantic region area studies students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Area Studies in the Middle Atlantic Region

1
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Barnard College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region. Barnard College is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 28 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full Barnard College Area Studies Report

2
Houghton crest
Houghton College
Houghton, New York

Out of the 110 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Houghton College landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in Houghton, New York, and it awarded 5 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 more about Area Studies at Houghton

3
Dickinson crest
Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Out of the 110 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Dickinson College landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 32 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about Area Studies at Dickinson College

4

Out of the 110 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Hobart and William Smith Colleges landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Geneva, New York, and it awarded 17 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Area Studies at The Colleges

5
Franklin and Marshall crest
Franklin and Marshall College
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Franklin and Marshall College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Lancaster, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 14 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Read full report on Area Studies at Franklin and Marshall

6
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Poughkeepsie, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 30 students in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Area Studies at Vassar College

7
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, New York

Colgate University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #7. This small school is located in Hamilton, New York, and it awarded 18 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Colgate University Area Studies Report

8
Hamilton crest
Hamilton College
Clinton, New York

Hamilton College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Hamilton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Clinton, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 Hamilton Area Studies Report

9
Skidmore crest
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, New York

With a ranking of #9, Skidmore College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Skidmore is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saratoga Springs, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Skidmore College Area Studies Report

10
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

With a ranking of #10, Georgetown University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 124 students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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 Georgetown University Area Studies Report

11
Bucknell crest
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #11, Bucknell University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Bucknell is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 12 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Area Studies at Bucknell University

12
Muhlenberg crest
Muhlenberg College
Allentown, Pennsylvania

Muhlenberg College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Muhlenberg College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It awarded 6 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. 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%.

Full Muhlenberg College Area Studies Report

13
Goucher crest
Goucher College
Baltimore, Maryland

Goucher College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #13. Goucher College is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 Area Studies at Goucher College

14
Gettysburg crest
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Gettysburg College is located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 14 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about Area Studies at Gettysburg College

15
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Princeton is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 33 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Princeton University Area Studies Report

16
Lincoln crest
Lincoln University
Lincoln University, Pennsylvania

Lincoln University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #16. This small school is located in Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 6 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

Full Lincoln Area Studies Report

17
Swarthmore crest
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #17, Swarthmore College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 4 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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.

Full Swarthmore College Area Studies Report

18
Fordham U crest
Fordham University
Bronx, New York

Fordham University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Bronx, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 38 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Fordham U

19
Union College crest
Union College New York
Schenectady, New York

With a ranking of #19, Union College New York did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Union College New York is located in Schenectady, New York and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 10 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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 Area Studies at Union College

20
McDaniel crest
McDaniel College
Westminster, Maryland

McDaniel College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. McDaniel is a private not-for-profit institution located in Westminster, Maryland. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full McDaniel College Area Studies Report

21

With a ranking of #21, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 107 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

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 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 more about Area Studies at Columbia

22
SUNY Old Westbury crest
SUNY Old Westbury
Old Westbury, New York

With a ranking of #22, SUNY Old Westbury did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. SUNY Old Westbury is a small public school situated in Old Westbury, New York. It awarded 8 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at SUNY Old Westbury

23
Fisher crest
St. John Fisher College
Rochester, New York

St. John Fisher College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Fisher is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rochester, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at St. John Fisher College

24
Ursinus crest
Ursinus College
Collegeville, Pennsylvania

Ursinus College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Ursinus College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%.

Read more about Area Studies at Ursinus College

25
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania

Lafayette College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Lafayette is a private not-for-profit institution located in Easton, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Lafayette Area Studies Report

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