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2025 Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

15 Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region
1,436 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
$36,713 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in area studies, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #115 in the country in terms of popularity. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 15 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,436 degrees in area studies annually.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Area Studies School

Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region The area studies program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Area Studies rankings. For our Best Overall Area Studies School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Area Studies Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Area Studies
Master's Degrees in Area Studies
Doctor's Degrees in Area Studies

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 the Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Area Studies in the Middle Atlantic Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the area studies degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Middle Atlantic Region Schools in Area Studies

1
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
124 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
$64,851 Median Starting Salary

Georgetown University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in area studies. Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were roughly 124 area studies students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the area studies degree program at Georgetown University earn $28,138 above the typical graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in area studies from Georgetown University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
107 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
$42,152 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Columbia University in the City of New York if you want to pursue a degree in area studies. Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 107 area studies students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Those area studies students who get their degree from Columbia University in the City of New York make $5,438 more than the average area studies student.

More information about a degree in area studies from Columbia University in the City of New York

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Bachelors Degree Type
BA in Anthropology Program Name

Explore societal similarities and differences as seen through cultural, biological, archaeological and linguistic lenses when you earn one of your degrees in anthropology from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA in Anthropology from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
57 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
14.0% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in area studies needs to check out Cornell University. Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were approximately 57 area studies students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the area studies program at Cornell University make $7,118 above the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in area studies from Cornell University

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
$40,811 Median Starting Salary

Fordham University is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in area studies. Located in the large city of Bronx, Fordham U is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #67 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Fordham U is a great university overall.

There were about 38 area studies students who graduated with this degree at Fordham U in the most recent year we have data available. Those area studies students who get their degree from Fordham University earn $4,098 more than the standard area studies graduate.

More information about a degree in area studies from Fordham University

5
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$34,142 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of New York, Barnard is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 9th out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 28 area studies students who graduated with this degree at Barnard in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, area studies degree recipients generally earn around $34,142 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in area studies from Barnard College

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In DC
42 Area Studies Degrees Awarded

GWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #25 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means GWU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 42 area studies students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in area studies from George Washington University

7
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
118 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
$51,233 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 118 area studies students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available. Area Studies degree recipients from New York University receive an earnings boost of about $14,520 over the typical income of area studies graduates.

More information about a degree in area studies from New York University

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA in History Program Name

Gain a rich foundation of knowledge ranging from early history to modern times with this online bachelor's degree in history from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA in History from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In NY

The Colleges is a small private not-for-profit college located in the town of Geneva. This college ranks 42nd out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 17 area studies students who graduated with this degree at The Colleges in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in area studies from Hobart and William Smith Colleges

9
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
$43,671 Median Starting Salary

The American University is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #61 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means The American University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 17 area studies students who graduated with this degree at The American University in the most recent data year. Those area studies students who get their degree from American University make $6,958 more than the typical area studies grad.

More information about a degree in area studies from American University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
42 Area Studies Degrees Awarded
$48,650 Median Starting Salary

UMGC is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Adelphi. This university ranks 4th out of 35 schools for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were roughly 42 area studies students who graduated with this degree at UMGC in the most recent year we have data available. Those area studies students who get their degree from University of Maryland Global Campus make $11,937 more than the average area studies grad.

More information about a degree in area studies from University of Maryland Global Campus

Best Area Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best area studies schools for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Pennsylvania 334 202
New York 333 666
Maryland 279 141
New Jersey 273 75
District of Columbia 188 205
Delaware 175 13

View All Rankings >

Area Studies is one of 2 different types of Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies programs to choose from.

Area Studies Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
American U.S. Studies 375
Asian Studies 217
Near & Middle Eastern Studies 163
East Asian Studies 154
Latin American Studies 136
Western European Studies 59
Area Studies, Other 56
African Studies 53
French Studies 37
Russian Studies 35

View All Area Studies Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Ethnic Studies 1,188
Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Other) 1

View All Area Studies Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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