Area Studies at The University of Texas at Austin

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Area Studies at The University of Texas at Austin

This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for The University of Texas at Austin 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 55 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at The University of Texas at Austin, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.

Median graduate earnings of $57,009 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 The University of Texas at Austin, the mean median-earnings figure is $80,011, 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 The University of Texas at Austin is $20,750, which translates to roughly $173 per month on a standard 10-year repayment plan. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.36 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.