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2026 African American Studies Degree Guide

A degree in African American Studies covers African-American/black Studies. A Program That Focuses On The History, Sociology, Politics, Culture, And Economics Of The North American Peoples Descended From The African Diaspora; Focusing On The United States, Canada, And The Caribbean, But Also Including Reference To Latin American Elements Of The Diaspora. Continue reading for the important information every african american studies major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering african american studies programs.

African American Studies Degrees in the United States

Nationwide, african american studies draws strong interest, with 922 degrees awarded annually.

Our 2026 Best African American Studies Schools ranking analyzes these 170 schools to determine the best overall colleges for african american studies students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of african american studies programs later in this article.

Best African American Studies Schools by Degree

Requirements for Getting a Degree in African American Studies

Coursework for African American Studies develop a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations african american studies graduates commonly enter.

Skills You Will Develop

Skills emphasized by a african american studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

Knowledge Areas

Based on O*NET data, a african american studies major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

African American Studies Degree Types

There are several african american studies degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.

Degree	Typical Program Length	Graduates Annually
Certificate	Varies	4
Associate Degree	2 years	1
Bachelor’s Degree	4 years	751
Master’s Degree	1-3 years	129
Doctorate	At least 4 years	37

People currently working in careers related to african american studies tend to have obtained the following education levels.

Level of Education	Percentage of Workers
Doctoral degree	60.5%
Master’s degree	31.0%
Post-doctoral training	4.0%
Post-master’s certificate	3.2%
First professional degree	1.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.2%

See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in african american studies careers hold.

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

African American Studies Careers

Majoring in african american studies prepares you for numerous career paths. Here are some of the most common occupations related to african american studies.

In-Demand African American Studies Careers

The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to african american studies.

Occupation	Projected Jobs	Expected Growth
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary	718,152	6.5%

How Much Money Do African American Studies Grads Make?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of african american studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow as graduates gain experience.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$32,619
4 years	$46,128
5 years	$53,144

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Highest Paid African American Studies Careers

Salaries for african american studies graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers african american studies grads often go into.

Occupation	Median Annual Salary
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary	$47,517

Getting Your African American Studies Degree

With 170 different african american studies programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased african american studies school rankings to help you.

African American Studies Related Majors

Those considering african american studies, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.

Additional Related Majors

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Women’s Studies	2,746
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other	2,431
Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies	698
American Indian/Native American Studies	560
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	517
Disability Studies	492
Deaf Studies	398
Asian-American Studies	172
Gay/Lesbian Studies	76
Folklore Studies	64

References

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.