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Regional & Ethnic Studies

Colleges offering this major Rankings Trends

What you'll do in college

Regional and Ethnic Studies majors take a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to understanding specific geographic areas or cultural identities. Rather than focusing through a single academic lens, you will explore the complex interplay of history, politics, literature, sociology, economics, and language.

Area studies tracks dive deeply into the geopolitics and culture of specific global regions, while ethnic studies tracks examine the histories, civil rights struggles, and contributions of specific diasporic or marginalized communities. Both paths rigorously develop your critical thinking, research, and cross-cultural communication skills.

What you'll do after college

Because this degree builds deep cultural fluency and analytical prowess, graduates pursue highly diverse career paths. Area studies graduates frequently transition into international business, global NGOs, journalism, and intelligence or foreign service.

Ethnic studies graduates are strongly positioned for careers in law, public policy, education, advocacy, social work, and corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. While entry-level salaries in advocacy or education can be modest, those who leverage their expertise in international consulting, trade, or corporate roles can see highly lucrative earnings.

Famous graduates

  • Mira Sorvino — Academy Award-winning actress; B.A. in East Asian Studies from Harvard University
  • Lupita Nyong'o — Academy Award-winning actress; B.A. in Film and African Studies from Hampshire College
  • Angela Bassett — Acclaimed actress; B.A. in African American Studies from Yale University
  • Mae Jemison — First Black woman in space; B.A. in African and African-American Studies (and B.S. in Chemical Engineering) from Stanford University

Selectivity vs. earnings

By acceptance rate

$49,987
423
100–66%
$51,467
978
66–28%
$60,523
992
28–11%
$68,716
423
11–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings

By SAT median

$51,613
211
400–1180
$53,487
476
1187–1385
$59,940
482
1385–1507
$74,072
207
1510–1600
Median SAT · bar = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
Regional & Ethnic Studies 408 5,015 31% / 69% 5% $56,448
American Studies 109 581 37% / 63% 1% $63,367
Ethnic Studies 96 565 18% / 82% 2% $49,090
Global South Studies 1 384 51% / 49% 21% $65,279
Area Studies 30 300 27% / 73% 2% $60,989
East Asian Studies 56 235 37% / 63% 17% $61,232
African American Studies 76 221 36% / 64% 0% $51,714
Asian Studies 62 218 37% / 63% 8% $57,045
Deaf Studies 11 176 14% / 86% 1% $47,396
African-American/Black Studies 48 152 28% / 72% 1% $48,884
Asian Studies/Civilization 29 119 31% / 69% 3% $53,064
Latin American Studies 78 117 26% / 74% 7% $56,680
Global Cultures 1 91 37% / 63% 33% $55,604
Africana Studies 18 80 31% / 69% 4% $46,291
American Indian/Native American Studies 16 78 32% / 68% 3% $48,879
Near and Middle Eastern Studies 24 71 32% / 68% 4% $64,184
African Studies 30 70 30% / 70% 1% $74,468
Chicana and Chicano Studies 3 58 41% / 59% 0% $46,731
Asian American Studies 16 54 39% / 61% 4% $48,287
French Studies 18 49 24% / 76% 2% $66,494
Native American Studies 15 49 31% / 69% 0% $48,579
Latin American and Latino Studies 2 49 18% / 82% 0% $47,201
Chicana/Chicano Studies 1 48 19% / 81% 0% $49,998
Hispanic Studies 8 42 31% / 69% 5% $59,420
East Asian Languages and Cultures 3 42 43% / 57% 5% $47,093
Latin American and Caribbean Studies 19 38 32% / 68% 5% $66,659
Critical Race and Ethnic Studies 2 37 24% / 76% 3% $50,045
Russian Studies 25 34 41% / 59% 3% $57,848
European Studies 20 34 21% / 79% 3% $65,206
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies 7 34 18% / 82% 9% $47,798
Judaic Studies 1 33 0% / 100% 0%
Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies 8 32 34% / 66% 6% $50,530
American Ethnic Studies 1 31 39% / 61% 3% $53,064
Chicano and Latino Studies 3 30 43% / 57% 0% $48,704
Jewish Studies 15 29 34% / 66% 0% $71,213
American Indian Studies 6 29 24% / 76% 0% $52,671
Chicana/o Studies 2 29 34% / 66% 0% $42,689
Japanese Studies 17 27 41% / 59% 15% $51,859
Italian Studies 18 26 23% / 77% 4% $62,387
Chinese Studies 17 25 32% / 68% 4% $74,828
Black Studies 4 24 29% / 71% 4% $40,631
German Studies 11 23 65% / 35% 4% $62,055
African and African American Studies 6 23 39% / 61% 0% $50,861
Asian Humanities 1 22 55% / 45% 45% $59,266
Hawaiian Studies 1 21 33% / 67% 0% $56,428
Chicano Latino Studies 1 20 40% / 60% 5% $53,641
Ethnicity, Race, and Migration 1 20 20% / 80% 0%
Spanish and Iberian Studies 4 19 16% / 84% 0% $57,588
Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity 1 19 11% / 89% 5%
Chicano/Latino Studies 3 18 28% / 72% 0% $44,866
African-American Studies 1 18 11% / 89% 0%
Lakota Studies 1 18 39% / 61% 0%
Afro-American Studies 2 17 41% / 59% 0% $59,169
Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, and Group Studies 1 17 0% / 100% 6%
Chicano and Chicana Studies 1 17 24% / 76% 0% $51,482
Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies 6 16 6% / 94% 0%
Comparative Ethnic Studies 1 16 0% / 100% 0% $54,089
South Asian Studies 4 14 29% / 71% 14% $55,732
African American and African Studies 2 14 29% / 71% 0% $53,066
East Asian Languages 2 13 23% / 77% 15%
Jewish, Islamic, and Middle Eastern Studies 1 12 0% / 100% 0%
Russian and Eastern European Studies 3 11 36% / 64% 0% $47,287
Asian Societies, Cultures, and Languages 1 11 45% / 55% 27% $86,892
Transborder Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies 1 11 27% / 73% 0% $50,861
Mexican American Studies 3 10 10% / 90% 0% $45,289
Pacific Area/Pacific Rim Studies 3 10 30% / 70% 20%
African and African-American Studies 2 10 20% / 80% 0% $69,058
American Culture Studies 1 10 30% / 70% 0%
Scandinavian Studies 6 9 33% / 67% 0% $61,766
French and Francophone Studies 4 9 33% / 67% 0% $60,558
Chicano Studies 1 9 22% / 78% 0% $47,160
La Raza Studies 1 9 33% / 67% 0% $54,089
Mexican American and Latina/o Studies 1 9 11% / 89% 0% $56,909
Middle Eastern Studies 14 8 88% / 12% 0%
American Culture 1 8 62% / 38% 0% $79,644
East Asian Cultures 1 8 50% / 50% 12%
Germanic Studies 2 7 29% / 71% 0% $59,512
Chicanx Studies 1 7 57% / 43% 0%
Native American and Indigenous Studies 1 7 14% / 86% 0%
Asian-American Studies 3 6 33% / 67% 17% $47,666
Middle East Studies 2 6 33% / 67% 17% $66,217
Portuguese and Brazilian Studies 2 6 17% / 83% 0% $59,266
African, African American, and Diaspora Studies 1 6 33% / 67% 17% $52,138
American and Ethnic Studies 1 6 50% / 50% 0% $58,587
Folklore Studies 2 5 20% / 80% 0% $45,324
African American and African Diaspora Studies 1 5 40% / 60% 0%
Afroamerican and African Studies 1 5 60% / 40% 0% $63,136
Chicana/o-Latina/o Studies 1 5 20% / 80% 0%
Latina/Latino Studies 1 5 20% / 80% 0%
Regional Studies (US, Canadian, Foreign) 1 5 40% / 60% 0%
American/United States Studies/Civilization 3 4 25% / 75% 0%
Alaska Native Studies 2 4 0% / 100% 0%
Gay/Lesbian Studies 2 4 25% / 75% 0%
Comparative Group Studies 1 4 0% / 100% 0%
Latina and Latino Studies 1 4 50% / 50% 25%
Russian and East European Studies 1 4 50% / 50% 25%
Southwest Studies 1 4 25% / 75% 0%
Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies 2 3 0% / 100% 0% $55,941
African American and Diaspora Studies 1 3 67% / 33% 0%
Central and Eastern European Studies 1 3 67% / 33% 0%
Chicanx/Latinx Studies 1 3 67% / 33% 0%
Iberian and Latin American Cultures 1 3 33% / 67% 0%
Latino and Caribbean Studies 1 3 33% / 67% 0% $31,899
Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity 1 3 67% / 33% 0%
South and Southeast Asian Studies 1 3 33% / 67% 0% $82,157
Near Eastern Studies 2 2 0% / 100% 0%
African and African Diaspora Studies 1 2 0% / 100% 0% $55,384
Africana World Studies 1 2 50% / 50% 0%
American Studies and Ethnicity 1 2 0% / 100% 0% $59,177
Asian and Pacific Studies 1 2 0% / 100% 50%
Chicano and Latin American Studies 1 2 50% / 50% 0%
Dine Studies 1 2 50% / 50% 0%
Ethnic and Racial Studies 1 2 0% / 100% 0%
Latin American and Latinx Studies 1 2 50% / 50% 0%
Latina/o Studies 1 2 0% / 100% 0% $63,136
Near East Studies 1 2 0% / 100% 0%
Russian, Central European, East European and Eurasian Studies 1 2 0% / 100% 0% $67,436
Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies 1 2 100% / 0% 0% $85,595
African and Middle Eastern Studies 1 1 0% / 100% 0% $59,266
American Indian and Indigenous Studies 1 1 100% / 0% 0%
American Indian/Native American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 1 1 0% / 100% 0%
Asia Pacific Studies 1 1 0% / 100% 100%
Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies 1 1 0% / 100% 0%
Black Diaspora and African American Studies 1 1 100% / 0% 0% $52,918
Critical Native American and Indigenous Studies 1 1 100% / 0% 0%
European Studies/Civilization 1 1 0% / 100% 0%
Latino and Latina Studies 1 1 0% / 100% 0%
Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies 1 1 0% / 100% 0% $85,595
Modern Middle Eastern Studies 1 1 0% / 100% 0%
Race and Ethnic Studies 1 1 0% / 100% 0%
Regional Studies 1 1 0% / 100% 0%
Slavic Studies 1 1 0% / 100% 100% $63,729
Ural-Altaic and Central Asian Studies 1 1 0% / 100% 0%
Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies 1 1 100% / 0% 0%