WhatGradsMake
Bachelor's-11% vs national median39 grads tracked

Area Studies at Macalester College

Ranked 30th of 67 bachelor's programs in Area Studies by 5-year earnings.

Median · 1 year out
$39,310
middle 50%: $31,024 – $51,576
Median · 5 years out
$54,898
middle 50%: $36,903 – $63,950
Median · 10 years out
$81,043
middle 50%: $58,363 – $126,300

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 Macalester College's bachelor's program in Area Studies earn a median $39,310 one year after graduating, rising to $81,043 by year ten. Five years out, earnings run 11% below the national median of $61,940 for this field, ranking 30th 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
7.4 yrs
≈ $8,739 total interest

Same major at other universities

University of Colorado Boulder
$57,075 · 5 yrs out
CUNY Lehman College
$56,764 · 5 yrs out
University of Utah
$56,069 · 5 yrs out
University of Massachusetts at Boston
$56,029 · 5 yrs out
State University of New York at Stony Brook
$55,935 · 5 yrs out
University of Arizona (The)
$55,137 · 5 yrs out
Dominican University
$54,857 · 5 yrs out
Saint Olaf College
$54,534 · 5 yrs out
DePaul University
$54,404 · 5 yrs out
University of Wisconsin - Madison
$54,349 · 5 yrs out
SUNY Old Westbury
$53,647 · 5 yrs out
State University of New York at Plattsburgh
$53,343 · 5 yrs out

Other majors at Macalester College

Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Bachelor's)
$121,630 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)
$121,630 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Statistics (Bachelor's)
$99,879 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics (Bachelor's)
$99,879 · 5 yrs out
Economics (Bachelor's)
$94,989 · 5 yrs out
Physics (Bachelor's)
$77,901 · 5 yrs out
Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor's)
$68,022 · 5 yrs out
Social Sciences (Bachelor's)
$64,005 · 5 yrs out
Physical Sciences (Bachelor's)
$61,737 · 5 yrs out
Education (Bachelor's)
$61,545 · 5 yrs out
Education, General (Bachelor's)
$61,545 · 5 yrs out
International/Globalization Studies (Bachelor's)
$58,734 · 5 yrs out

Related fields of study

Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, and Group Studies
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Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies
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