George Washington University: Area Studies

Bachelor's degree · CIP 05.01 · No credentials fully online · Washington, DC

Graduates of this program who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $46,273 one year after completing. The median federal loan debt of graduates was $25,038. Nationally, graduates of bachelor's degree programs in this field earned a median of $38,972 one year after completing.

Median earnings, 1 year
$46,273
26 graduates measured Verified data
Median earnings, 4 years
Data unavailable
Data unavailable
Median federal debt
$25,038
22 borrowers Verified data
Debt to first-year earnings
0.54x
median debt / median earnings Calculated estimate

This program compared with the national picture

MeasureThis programNational median, same field and credential
Median earnings 1 year after completion$46,273$38,972
Median earnings 4 years after completionSuppressed for privacy$56,625
Median federal loan debt (Stafford and Grad PLUS)$25,038$18,938 Median of programs
Estimated monthly payment on median debt (10-year standard)$285
Graduates in the most recent year193,434 across 445 programs

Earnings cohorts: Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars. Debt cohort: NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort. Debt covers federal loans only and excludes private loans and Parent PLUS loans. Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, before taxes.

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.

Careers this field prepares students for

From the official CIP to SOC crosswalk. Graduates do not all enter these occupations, and occupation wages describe all workers, not new graduates. Official crosswalk

OccupationMedian wage, all workersChange 2025 to 2035
Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary$85,020+2.7%
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.

Comparable programs with the highest early earnings

SchoolMedian earnings, 1 yrMedian debt
Yale University
CT · Private, nonprofit
$67,764Data unavailable
Dartmouth College
NH · Private, nonprofit
$65,279Data unavailable
Barnard College
NY · Private, nonprofit
$63,702$15,500
Columbia University in the City of New York
NY · Private, nonprofit
$56,970$16,500
University of California-Berkeley
CA · Public
$56,036$15,616
Wellesley College
MA · Private, nonprofit
$54,577Data unavailable
University of Missouri-Columbia
MO · Public
$54,399$20,000
Bowdoin College
ME · Private, nonprofit
$52,347$15,500
Vassar College
NY · Private, nonprofit
$51,187Data unavailable
Fordham University
NY · Private, nonprofit
$50,891$23,250

See all Area Studies programs and national outcomes

Model this program's ROI

Plug this program's published earnings and debt into the ROI calculator, then add your own tuition, aid, and current salary.

Open in the ROI calculator
George Washington University Area Studies (Bachelor's degree): Earnings and Debt | ConnectPrep Career Intelligence