Best colleges for Area Studies in New York
Program-level earnings — not school prestige — rank these. Among the New York programs in the federal field-of-study file, Cornell University leads: its Area Studies graduates earn a median $96,976 four years after finishing, against the field's $56,625 national median. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026.)
| # | College | Grad earnings, 4 yrs | Vs field median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cornell University | $96,976 | +$40,351 |
| 2 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $96,884 | +$40,259 |
| 3 | Fordham University | $75,563 | +$18,938 |
How big is the earnings gap between New York Area Studies programs?
$21,413 separates the top and bottom of this list — $96,976 at Cornell University against $75,563 at Fordham University, four years after finishing. Same field, same state, same federal measure: where you study moves pay by that much.
Do New York Area Studies graduates earn more than the national median?
The state's strongest program pays $40,351 above the $56,625 national median for the field. Program-level medians come from federal tax records of graduates who received aid, so they track actual pay rather than advertised salaries.