Area Studies graduates from Bowdoin College earn $75,966 median salary — above the national average for this program. Median debt: $24,000.
Area Studies at Bowdoin College
Brunswick, Maine • Bachelor's
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Area Studies at Bowdoin College
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for Bowdoin College and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Area Studies at the bachelor's credential level. The FOS file is keyed by CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code, which means earnings and debt figures here reflect only graduates of this specific program — not the school as a whole. IPEDS reports 47 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at Bowdoin College, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $75,966 represent Treasury-verified wages approximately one year after program completion, drawn from Social Security Administration records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Compared to the national mean of $45,335 across all institutions offering Area Studies, graduates here earn above the national average for this program. Across all programs at Bowdoin College, the mean median-earnings figure is $56,939, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.
Debt signals complete the ROI picture. The median cumulative federal loan debt for Area Studies graduates at Bowdoin College is $24,000, which translates to roughly $200 per month on a standard 10-year repayment plan. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.32 is under the 1.0 threshold the College Scorecard uses to flag favorable gainful-employment outcomes — earnings in year one already exceed cumulative borrowing. Program-level debt and earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard FOS release, updated annually.
Earnings Comparison
Program Details
Debt & ROI
Area Studies at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Cornell University | $96,976 | $17,250 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | $96,884 | $21,636 |
| Miami University-Oxford | $79,449 | $20,526 |
| Bowdoin College (this school) | $75,966 | $24,000 |
| University of Notre Dame | $75,832 | $18,250 |
| Fordham University | $75,563 | $26,000 |
| University of Missouri-Columbia | $75,230 | $21,000 |
| Emory University | $75,205 | $19,500 |
| Trinity College | $73,229 | — |
| University of California-Berkeley | $70,366 | $14,839 |
Other Programs at Bowdoin College
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $137,611 | — |
| Economics | $121,983 | $19,500 |
| Political Science and Government | $89,253 | $19,634 |
| Area Studies (current) | $75,966 | $24,000 |
| Mathematics | $67,101 | — |
| Psychology, General | $44,971 | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $39,454 | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | $39,369 | $19,500 |
| Biology, General | $39,009 | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $32,925 | — |
Other Schools with Area Studies
Quick picks offering the same program — compare side by side
About the Data
Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Earnings are median earnings for graduates after completion, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Institutional characteristics come from IPEDS. Debt figures represent the median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation.
Debt-to-earnings ratio compares cumulative debt to annual earnings. A ratio below 1.0 indicates that annual earnings exceed total debt, generally considered favorable. Estimated monthly payments assume a standard 10-year repayment plan.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.