Area Studies: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 05.01. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 863 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 87 | 360 | $41,857 | $52,845 | $23,544 2 programs |
| Associate's degree | 46 | 164 | Data unavailable | $42,846 | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 445 | 3,434 | $38,972 | $56,625 | $18,938 44 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 5 | 0 | $57,732 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 150 | 934 | $52,788 | $68,936 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 56 | 191 | $65,256 | $69,249 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 3 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 71 | 155 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania PA · Public · 37 graduates measured | $46,232 | Data unavailable | $21,812 |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee WI · Public · 20 graduates measured | $34,167 | $43,166 | $25,275 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yale University CT · Private, nonprofit · 30 graduates measured | $67,764 | $67,230 | Data unavailable |
| Dartmouth College NH · Private, nonprofit · 42 graduates measured | $65,279 | $65,226 | Data unavailable |
| Barnard College NY · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $63,702 | $66,117 | $15,500 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 31 graduates measured | $56,970 | $96,884 | $16,500 |
| University of California-Berkeley CA · Public · 49 graduates measured | $56,036 | $70,366 | $15,616 |
| Wellesley College MA · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $54,577 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Missouri-Columbia MO · Public · 59 graduates measured | $54,399 | $75,230 | $20,000 |
| Bowdoin College ME · Private, nonprofit · 32 graduates measured | $52,347 | $75,966 | $15,500 |
| Vassar College NY · Private, nonprofit · 26 graduates measured | $51,187 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Fordham University NY · Private, nonprofit · 52 graduates measured | $50,891 | $75,563 | $23,250 |
| University of Notre Dame IN · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $48,594 | $75,832 | Data unavailable |
| Tufts University MA · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $48,583 | $69,037 | Data unavailable |
| Brown University RI · Private, nonprofit · 40 graduates measured | $47,927 | $59,808 | $12,375 |
| Middlebury College VT · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $46,666 | $56,508 | Data unavailable |
| William & Mary VA · Public · 31 graduates measured | $46,605 | $68,909 | $18,500 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown University DC · Private, nonprofit · 46 graduates measured | $71,262 | $91,661 | Data unavailable |
| Harvard University MA · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $69,625 | $115,583 | Data unavailable |
| Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $62,498 | $81,697 | Data unavailable |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $59,749 | $88,197 | Data unavailable |
| The University of Texas at Austin TX · Public · 23 graduates measured | $58,295 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| New York University NY · Private, nonprofit · 47 graduates measured | $58,259 | $71,404 | Data unavailable |
| Center for Advanced Studies On Puerto Rico and the Caribbean PR · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $28,356 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Doctoral degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center for Advanced Studies On Puerto Rico and the Caribbean PR · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $44,073 | $47,725 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Area Studies
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary | $85,020 | +2.7% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (37)
- 05.0101 African Studies
- 05.0102 American/United States Studies/Civilization
- 05.0103 Asian Studies/Civilization
- 05.0104 East Asian Studies
- 05.0105 Russian, Central European, East European and Eurasian Studies
- 05.0106 European Studies/Civilization
- 05.0107 Latin American Studies
- 05.0108 Near and Middle Eastern Studies
- 05.0109 Pacific Area/Pacific Rim Studies
- 05.0110 Russian Studies
- 05.0111 Scandinavian Studies
- 05.0112 South Asian Studies
- 05.0113 Southeast Asian Studies
- 05.0114 Western European Studies
- 05.0115 Canadian Studies
- 05.0116 Balkans Studies
- 05.0117 Baltic Studies
- 05.0118 Slavic Studies
- 05.0119 Caribbean Studies
- 05.0120 Ural-Altaic and Central Asian Studies
- 05.0121 Commonwealth Studies
- 05.0122 Regional Studies (U.S., Canadian, Foreign)
- 05.0123 Chinese Studies
- 05.0124 French Studies
- 05.0125 German Studies
- 05.0126 Italian Studies
- 05.0127 Japanese Studies
- 05.0128 Korean Studies
- 05.0129 Polish Studies
- 05.0130 Spanish and Iberian Studies
- 05.0131 Tibetan Studies
- 05.0132 Ukraine Studies
- 05.0133 Irish Studies
- 05.0134 Latin American and Caribbean Studies
- 05.0135 Appalachian Studies
- 05.0136 Arctic Studies
- 05.0199 Area Studies, Other