2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region
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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 Plains States Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Area Studies is the 115th most popular major in the country with 6,257 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. 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 Plains States region, there were 247 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,952 and $23,000 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 34 colleges that offer a degree in area studies. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in area studies.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools
The area studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region”.
Top 34 Most Focused Colleges for Area Studies in the Plains States Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend St Olaf College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 22 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 full report on Area Studies at St. Olaf
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carleton College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Carleton College is located in Northfield, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 15 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Carleton College
Out of the 34 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #3 spot on the list. Gustavus Adolphus is located in Saint Peter, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 11 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
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 Gustavus Adolphus Area Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Coe College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Coe is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It awarded 2 ’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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Coe Area Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Macalester College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region. Macalester is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 ’s area studies degrees to qualified 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. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Area Studies at Macalester
Saint Johns University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #6. Saint Johns University is a small school located in Collegeville, Minnesota that handed out 2 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 85%.
Full SJU Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #7, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. This large school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 47 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Mizzou
College of Saint Benedict came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Saint Joseph, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 0 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
Full College of Saint Benedict Area Studies Report
Washington University in St Louis landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 33 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 0.4%, 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 96%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Washington University in St Louis
With a ranking of #10, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. KU is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Area Studies at KU
University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #11. UMN Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Full UMN Duluth Area Studies Report
University of Minnesota - Morris came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. UMN Morris is a small public school situated in Morris, Minnesota. It awarded 1 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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 Area Studies at University of Minnesota - Morris
University of Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, 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.
Full Iowa Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #14, Saint Louis University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. SLU is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 9 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 SLU
With a ranking of #15, Saint Ambrose University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Davenport, Iowa, and it awarded 5 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 St. Ambrose University
With a ranking of #16, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Iowa State University is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 9 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 Iowa State University Area Studies Report
University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #17. UNOMAHA is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 UNOMAHA
Creighton University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Creighton University is a medium-sized school located in Omaha, Nebraska that handed out 1 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Area Studies at Creighton University
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #19. UMN Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 11 ’s area studies degrees 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 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%.
Full UMN Twin Cities Area Studies Report
Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #20. Moorhead, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 0 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 Minnesota State University - Moorhead
University of North Dakota ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. UND is a fairly large public school situated in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It awarded 2 ’s area studies degrees 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%.
Read full report on Area Studies at UND
With a ranking of #22, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a fairly large school located in Mankato, Minnesota that handed out 2 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%.
Read more about Area Studies at Minnesota State University - Mankato
University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Full UNL Area Studies Report
Hamline University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #24. Hamline is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Hamline University
With a ranking of #24, Cornell College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Cornell College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Mount Vernon, Iowa. It awarded 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at Cornell College
Augustana University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Augustana Sioux Falls is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It awarded 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
Read full report on Area Studies at Augustana Sioux Falls
Columbia College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 0 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at Columbia College Missouri
Presentation College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Presentation College is a small school located in Aberdeen, South Dakota that handed out 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Full Presentation College Area Studies Report
Saint Cloud State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. St. Cloud State University is a fairly large school located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota that handed out 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at St. Cloud State University
University of Jamestown ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. UJ is located in Jamestown, North Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 0 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at UJ
With a ranking of #24, Augsburg University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Augsburg University is a small school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Augsburg
Luther College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Luther College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decorah, Iowa. It awarded 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Luther College Area Studies Report
Bethany Lutheran College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Bethany Lutheran College is a small school located in Mankato, Minnesota that handed out 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 BLC
With a ranking of #24, Webster University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Plains States Region list. Webster University is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
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 Webster University Area Studies Report
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Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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