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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in the New England Region

13 Colleges in the United States
716 Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Degrees Awarded
$46,251 Avg Early-Career Salary

Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 62 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies in the New England Region

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies

1
Wesleyan University crest
Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT

Leading the list is Wesleyan University, our #1 school for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Middletown. The six-year graduation rate is 93%. About 66 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees were awarded at Wesleyan University in the most recent year. Students who receive their area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree from Wesleyan University earn around $39,764 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $16,125. See the full area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program report for Wesleyan University

2
Wellesley College crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA

Wellesley College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the suburb of Wellesley. Roughly 92% of students complete a degree within six years here. Wellesley College awarded about 23 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees in the most recent data year. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates of Wellesley College earn a median of $43,275 early in their careers. Wellesley College graduates carry a median of $9,525 in student loans. Get the full area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies details for Wellesley College

3
Harvard University crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA

Harvard University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Cambridge. The six-year graduation rate is 98%. There were roughly 97 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students who graduated with this degree at Harvard University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program make about $95,207 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $16,616 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies from Harvard University

4
Yale University crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT

Yale University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies, ranking #4. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of New Haven. Roughly 96% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 106 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees were awarded at Yale University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from Yale University generally make around $53,962. Yale University graduates carry a median of $13,107 in student loans. Get the full area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies details for Yale University

5
Dartmouth College crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH

A rank of #5 makes Dartmouth College one of the top schools for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies. Dartmouth College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Hanover. Roughly 96% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 46 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees were awarded at Dartmouth College in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from Dartmouth College generally make around $46,718. Typical student debt for the program is $16,390. More information about a degree in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies from Dartmouth College

6

University Of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. Set in the city of Amherst, University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a very large public institution. University Of Massachusetts Amherst graduates 83% of students within six years. University Of Massachusetts Amherst awarded about 34 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from University Of Massachusetts Amherst generally make around $53,543. Students borrow a median of $25,234 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies from University Of Massachusetts Amherst

7
Williams College crest
Williams College
Williamstown, MA

Williams College ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the town of Williamstown. Williams College graduates 94% of students within six years. About 25 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees were awarded at Williams College in the most recent year. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates of Williams College earn a median of $38,595 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $12,615. Read more about the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program at Williams College

8
Boston University crest
Boston University
Boston, MA

Boston University placed #8 among the best area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. Set in the city of Boston, Boston University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Boston University graduates 89% of students within six years. There were roughly 22 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students who graduated with this degree at Boston University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree from Boston University earn around $63,598 in the first couple years of their career. Boston University graduates carry a median of $25,232 in student loans. Get the full area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies details for Boston University

9
Amherst College crest
Amherst College
Amherst, MA

Amherst College ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. Set in the city of Amherst, Amherst College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 94%. Amherst College awarded about 23 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program make about $48,220 in their early career. Amherst College graduates carry a median of $18,032 in student loans. Get the full area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies details for Amherst College

10
Mount Holyoke College crest
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, MA

Mount Holyoke College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. Mount Holyoke College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of South Hadley. The six-year graduation rate is 84%. About 22 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees were awarded at Mount Holyoke College in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from Mount Holyoke College generally make around $35,038. Mount Holyoke College graduates carry a median of $22,041 in student loans. Get the full area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies details for Mount Holyoke College

11
Brown University crest
Brown University
Providence, RI

Brown University placed #11 among the best area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. Brown University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Providence. Roughly 96% of students complete a degree within six years here. Brown University awarded about 65 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree from Brown University earn around $38,805 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $12,000 to complete this degree. Read more about the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program at Brown University

12
Middlebury College crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT

Middlebury College landed the #12 spot for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies this year. Middlebury College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Middlebury. About 91% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 19 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students who graduated with this degree at Middlebury College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree from Middlebury College earn around $40,467 in the first couple years of their career. Middlebury College graduates carry a median of $11,593 in student loans. Get the full area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies details for Middlebury College

13
Connecticut College crest
Connecticut College
New London, CT

Connecticut College placed #13 among the best area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. Connecticut College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of New London. The six-year graduation rate is 82%. Connecticut College awarded about 14 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program make about $43,358 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $21,220. More information about a degree in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies from Connecticut College

14
Bowdoin College crest
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME

Bowdoin College came in at #14 for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies this year. Located in the town of Brunswick, Bowdoin College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Roughly 95% of students complete a degree within six years here. Bowdoin College awarded about 31 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from Bowdoin College generally make around $45,315. Students borrow a median of $24,000 to complete this degree. Get the full area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies details for Bowdoin College

15

Brandeis University came in at #15 for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies this year. Brandeis University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Waltham. Roughly 86% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 32 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students who graduated with this degree at Brandeis University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from Brandeis University generally make around $43,165. Typical student debt for the program is $25,831. Get the full area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies details for Brandeis University

16
Smith College crest
Smith College
Northampton, MA

Smith College came in at #16 for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies this year. Set in the city of Northampton, Smith College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Smith College graduates 89% of students within six years. There were roughly 39 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students who graduated with this degree at Smith College in the most recent data year. Graduates of the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program make about $28,804 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $19,000. See the full area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program report for Smith College

17

Southern Connecticut State University ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the best area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. This large public university is located in the city of New Haven. About 50% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 15 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students who graduated with this degree at Southern Connecticut State University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree from Southern Connecticut State University earn around $50,876 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $24,660 to complete this degree. See the full area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program report for Southern Connecticut State University

18

University Of Rhode Island came in at #18 for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies this year. Set in the suburb of Kingston, University Of Rhode Island is a very large public institution. Roughly 72% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 11 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students who graduated with this degree at University Of Rhode Island in the most recent data year. Students who receive their area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree from University Of Rhode Island earn around $28,181 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $21,875 to complete this degree. Get the full area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies details for University Of Rhode Island

19

University Of Massachusetts Boston ranked #19 on our 2026 list of the best area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. University Of Massachusetts Boston is a large public school located in the city of Boston. University Of Massachusetts Boston graduates 49% of students within six years. About 26 area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees were awarded at University Of Massachusetts Boston in the most recent year. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates of University Of Massachusetts Boston earn a median of $41,872 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $26,965 to complete this degree. See the full area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program report for University Of Massachusetts Boston

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Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 62 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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