Area Studies Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Area Studies maps to BLS occupations averaging about $135,756, with roughly 2,930 workers nationwide in those roles. Median program completion runs near 62%; median in-state published tuition is about $9,728.
Key Statistics
Area Studies: what the data shows
Common questions about area studies degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a area studies degree?
A Area Studies program is classified under NCES CIP 00.0501 in the 00.0005 field family (00.05).
What do you learn in area studies?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Reading Comprehension, Instructing, Speaking, Active Learning, Active Listening, Learning Strategies, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a area studies degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Area Studies to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 11,430 | $84,290 |
| Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 12,680 | $75,890 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a area studies degree worth it?
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $9,728 and median net price is $20,110.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Area Studies and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$9,728 Median In-State Public
$51,404 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Area Studies majors are, on average, $9,728 for in-state public colleges, and $51,404 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Area Studies programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
N/A Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Area Studies from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Area Studies.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,398 |
| 2 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,099 |
| 3 | University of Central Florida | FL | 59,095 |
| 4 | University of Maryland Global Campus | MD | 48,238 |
| 5 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 44,617 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Area Studies programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laney College | CA | $1,148 |
| 2 | Berkeley City College | CA | $1,148 |
| 3 | Chabot College | CA | $1,150 |
| 4 | Fullerton College | CA | $1,150 |
| 5 | Irvine Valley College | CA | $1,156 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Area Studies programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada College | CA | $10 |
| 2 | West Valley College | CA | $1,842 |
| 3 | Irvine Valley College | CA | $1,886 |
| 4 | Moreno Valley College | CA | $1,996 |
| 5 | College of the Canyons | CA | $2,114 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Area Studies programs.
Graduation Rates
61.87% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
62.67% Average Graduation Rate
85 Institutions Reporting
54.82% - 73.50% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Area Studies programs across institutions.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $135,756. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Area Studies graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | $129,630 | 11,430 |
| Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | $141,278 | 12,680 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$137,183 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Area Studies majors is $137,183.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Area Studies majors.
Occupations by Share
2,930 2023 Workforce
The number of Area Studies graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Area Studies by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Area Studies in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Area Studies.
Age distribution for Area Studies degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Area Studies degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Area Studies degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Area Studies are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Area Studies.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Area Studies field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Area Studies majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Area Studies majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Area Studies majors.
About
Area Studies
In 2023, N/A degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Area Studies.
CIP Code
00.0501 - Area Studies
What the data shows
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $135,756. The largest mapped role by headcount is Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary (11,430 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $9,728 in-state at public colleges and $51,404 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.