WhatGradsMake
Bachelor's-12% vs national median277 grads tracked

Area Studies at Saint Olaf College

Ranked 32nd of 67 bachelor's programs in Area Studies by 5-year earnings.

Median · 1 year out
$38,919
middle 50%: $25,875 – $53,609
Median · 5 years out
$54,534
middle 50%: $40,636 – $73,528
Median · 10 years out
$74,918
middle 50%: $56,620 – $105,643

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 Saint Olaf College's bachelor's program in Area Studies earn a median $38,919 one year after graduating, rising to $74,918 by year ten. Five years out, earnings run 12% below the national median of $61,940 for this field, ranking 32nd 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
7.5 yrs
≈ $8,852 total interest

Same major at other universities

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
Macalester College
$54,898 · 5 yrs out
Dominican University
$54,857 · 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
University of Oregon
$53,219 · 5 yrs out
University of Hawaii at Manoa
$53,081 · 5 yrs out

Other majors at Saint Olaf College

Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Bachelor's)
$120,035 · 5 yrs out
Computer Science (Bachelor's)
$120,035 · 5 yrs out
Economics (Bachelor's)
$85,545 · 5 yrs out
Physics (Bachelor's)
$78,948 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Statistics (Bachelor's)
$78,045 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics (Bachelor's)
$78,045 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Bachelor's)
$76,166 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's)
$76,166 · 5 yrs out
Social Sciences (Bachelor's)
$72,148 · 5 yrs out
Physical Sciences (Bachelor's)
$68,702 · 5 yrs out
Chemistry (Bachelor's)
$67,022 · 5 yrs out
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's)
$65,735 · 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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