Bachelor's+1% vs national median103 grads tracked
Area Studies at Carleton College
Ranked 12th of 67 bachelor's programs in Area Studies by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$36,091
middle 50%: $26,013 – $46,321
Median · 5 years out
$62,643
middle 50%: $48,829 – $80,415
Median · 10 years out
$83,179
middle 50%: $63,082 – $105,999
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Area Studies (bachelor's) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Graduates of Carleton College's bachelor's program in Area Studies earn a median $36,091 one year after graduating, rising to $83,179 by year ten. Five years out, earnings run 1% above the national median of $61,940 for this field, ranking 12th of 67 reporting programs.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.
Will the degree pay for itself?
Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.
Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).
Paid off in
7 yrs
≈ $8,455 total interest
Same major at other universities
Furman University
$64,930 · 5 yrs out
University of Mary Washington
$64,402 · 5 yrs out
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
$63,874 · 5 yrs out
Connecticut College
$63,769 · 5 yrs out
University of South Carolina - Columbia
$63,610 · 5 yrs out
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
$63,418 · 5 yrs out
University of Michigan
$62,265 · 5 yrs out
College of William & Mary
$62,093 · 5 yrs out
Miami University
$61,978 · 5 yrs out
University of Texas at Austin
$61,940 · 5 yrs out
University of Virginia
$61,903 · 5 yrs out
Western Connecticut State University
$59,848 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at Carleton College
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Bachelor's)
$136,177 · 5 yrs out
Computer Science (Bachelor's)
$136,177 · 5 yrs out
Statistics (Bachelor's)
$111,686 · 5 yrs out
Economics (Bachelor's)
$102,242 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Statistics (Bachelor's)
$97,751 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics (Bachelor's)
$93,589 · 5 yrs out
Social Sciences (Bachelor's)
$79,570 · 5 yrs out
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's)
$76,770 · 5 yrs out
Philosophy (Bachelor's)
$74,301 · 5 yrs out
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's)
$71,298 · 5 yrs out
Philosophy and Religious Studies (Bachelor's)
$70,298 · 5 yrs out
Physics (Bachelor's)
$68,521 · 5 yrs out