Degree profile

Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis Degrees (2026 stats)

Last updated: April 29, 2026 Source: College Scorecard

Executive Summary (TL;DR)

Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis maps to BLS occupations averaging about $135,756, with roughly 2,930 workers nationwide in those roles. Median program completion runs near 59%; median in-state published tuition is about $12,624.

Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis: what the data shows

Common questions about cultural studies/critical theory and analysis degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.

What is a cultural studies/critical theory and analysis degree?

A Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis program is classified under NCES CIP 30.2600 in the Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis field family (00.30).

IPEDS counted 179 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.

Types of cultural studies/critical theory and analysis degrees and related programs

Other NCES program codes in the 00.30 family with pages on EDsmart Data:

How long does it take to get a cultural studies/critical theory and analysis degree?

Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 30.2600 in our file:

  • 20 Master's (90.9% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
  • 2 Doctorate (9.1% of IPEDS total)—varies by program

Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.

What do you learn in cultural studies/critical theory and analysis?

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 jobs can you get with a cultural studies/critical theory and analysis degree?

Our degree→occupation mapping links Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.

OccupationU.S. employmentMedian annual wage
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary11,430$84,290
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary12,680$75,890

See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.

Is a cultural studies/critical theory and analysis degree worth it?

About 10.7% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.

Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $12,624 and median net price is $23,288.

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 Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis and the types of students that study this field.

Tuition Costs for Common Institutions

$12,624 Median In-State Public

$51,169 Median Out of State Private

Tuition costs for Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis majors are, on average, $12,624 for in-state public colleges, and $51,169 for out of state private colleges.

Tuition costs comparison for Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis programs.

Degrees Awarded Over Time

179 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023

This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis from 2015 to 2023.

Historical trend of degrees awarded in Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis.

Top 5 Schools by Enrollment

# School State Enrollment
1 Southern New Hampshire University NH 156,755
2 Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ 64,398
3 University of Arizona AZ 40,769
4 Purdue University-Main Campus IN 39,637
5 American Public University System WV 38,976

Schools with the largest enrollment offering Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis programs.

Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition

# School State Tuition
1 Florida Atlantic University FL $4,879
2 College of Micronesia-FSM FM $5,050
3 Brigham Young University-Hawaii HI $6,438
4 Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus PR $6,920
5 CUNY Graduate School and University Center NY $7,410

Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis programs.

Top 5 Lowest Net Price

# School State Net Price
1 College of Micronesia-FSM FM $7,012
2 Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus PR $7,668
3 Florida Atlantic University FL $8,001
4 University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus CT $8,896
5 American Public University System WV $9,104

Schools with the lowest average net price for Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis programs.

Graduation Rates

59.36% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)

57.43% Average Graduation Rate

144 Institutions Reporting

43.88% - 71.16% Interquartile Range

Graduation/completion rates for Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis programs across institutions.

Related specializations

Other NCES program codes in the 00.30 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.

Degree Levels (IPEDS)

Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 30.2600 in the survey year used in our extract (22 total across levels below).

  • 20 Master's (90.9% of IPEDS total)
  • 2 Doctorate (9.1% of IPEDS total)

Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.

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 Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis graduates alone.

Related occupations (BLS OEWS)

Occupation Mean annual wage U.S. employment
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary$129,63011,430
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary$141,27812,680

Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.

Program outcomes (College Scorecard)

National medians across bachelor's programs in the Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis CIP family (n/a programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis graduate.

  • $40,892 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
  • 10.7% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)

Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.

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, mapped occupations (OEWS)

Occupations mapped to Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis average $137,183 a year in the BLS OEWS extract.

Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis majors.

Occupations by Share

2,930 2023 Workforce

The number of Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis graduates in the workforce has been growing.

Various jobs filled by those with a major in Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis by share of the total number of graduates.

Diversity

Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis in the United States.

Workforce Age

N/A Average Age in 2023

This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis.

Age distribution for Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis degree holders in the workforce.

Gender Distribution

Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.

Gender distribution of Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis degree recipients.

Race and Ethnicity Distribution

Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.

Racial and ethnic distribution of Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis degree recipients.

Degrees Awarded

The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.

Distribution of degree types awarded in Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis.

Skills

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Required Skills

Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.

Rating of how necessary various skills are for Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis 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 Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis majors.

About

Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis

In 2023, 179 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis.

CIP Code

30.2600 - Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis

What the data shows

About 10.7% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians. That is a program-level mobility signal, not a national underemployment rate.

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 $12,624 in-state at public colleges and $51,169 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.