List of All U.S. Colleges with an American Studies Major
Did you know that Katie Couric was an American studies major? How about Janeane Garofalo? A broad, multidisciplinary major, American studies prepares students for a wide range of careers, from law to communications to teaching. Thinking of majoring in American studies? Keep reading to find out what it entails, the colleges that offer the program, and what to look for. In an American studies program, students examine social, political, historical, and other angles of American culture. They will take courses in literature, history, political science, philosophy, sociology, economics, media, film, and other areas to look at American identity and perspectives. People who are strong critical and analytical thinkers will thrive in an American studies program. They must also be willing to look at a variety of issues from multiple perspectives. Research is an important skill for someone in this major. A strong American studies program will help students hone these and other skills, such as research, communication, and writing. American studies graduates go on to find careers in a number of fields, such as: Many of these jobs, such as law, require a graduate degree. For others, a bachelor’s is sufficient. There are master’s and PhD programs in American studies, necessary for careers like teaching at the college level. Because American studies graduates end up in many different careers, it’s important to see how a college’s program prepares students for their lives after college. Note where students end up after they earn their degrees. Also, establish whether these outcomes align with your own career goals. For instance, are you thinking of being a lawyer? See how many American studies graduates from a given school head to law school. Does the school partner with organizations to help students secure prestigious internships to prepare them for their future careers? Georgetown University, for example, notes that its American studies students have interned with presidential campaigns, Congress, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Washington Post, and many other organizations. American studies is a broad discipline, and many students specialize in a certain sub-topic. Look at whether you’ll be able to choose a concentration that interests you at the school in question. For example, at Williams College, American studies majors can focus on concentrations like Arts in Context; Comparative Studies in Race, Ethnicity & Diaspora; Critical and Cultural Theory; and Space and Place. In order to study American culture, it’s important to learn about other perspectives and cultures. This is why so many American studies majors study abroad. Look for a college with a robust study abroad program that allows you to explore different cultures. Also, note how many students (especially American studies majors) do study outside of the United States and what the process is like. Does the college have an office dedicated to learning internationally? What are the requirements for studying abroad? Notice a school that’s missing? Email us and let us know! What are your odds of being admitted to a top American studies college? It starts with academics. Most selective schools use the Academic Index to filter applicants before looking at qualitative factors, so your grades and test scores play a big role. Your extracurriculars, essays, recommendations, and other qualitative factors also play an important role in the admissions process. American studies majors might consider activities like student newspaper, debate team, history club, and student government. Want to know where you stand? Check out our free Chancing Engine to find out your likelihood of being admitted to top American studies schools. We examine many factors, including your academic stats, extracurriculars, and much more. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account to get started!Overview of the American Studies Major
What to Look for in a College as an American Studies Major
Outcomes
Internship Opportunities
Specializations Offered
Study Abroad Opportunities
List of All U.S. Colleges With an American Studies Major
School
City
State
American International College | AIC
Springfield
Massachusetts
American University
Washington DC
Washington DC
Amherst College
Amherst
Massachusetts
Augustana University
Sioux Falls
South Dakota
Barnard College
New York
New York
Bates College
Lewiston
Maine
Baylor University
Waco
Texas
Boston College | BC
Chestnut Hill
Massachusetts
Boston University | BU
Boston
Massachusetts
Bowling Green State University | BGSU
Bowling Green
Ohio
Brandeis University
Waltham
Massachusetts
Brigham Young University | BYU
Provo
Utah
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn
New York
Brown University
Providence
Rhode Island
California State University, Fullerton | CSU Fullerton
Fullerton
California
California State University, Long Beach | Long Beach State
Long Beach
California
California State University, Los Angeles | Cal State LA
Los Angeles
California
Carleton College
Northfield
Minnesota
City College of New York | CCNY
New York
New York
Claflin University
Orangeburg
South Carolina
Claremont McKenna College | CMC
Claremont
California
Coe College
Cedar Rapids
Iowa
Colby College
Waterville
Maine
College of William & Mary | William & Mary
Williamsburg
Virginia
Columbia University
New York
New York
Connecticut College
New London
Connecticut
Cornell University
Ithaca
New York
Creighton University
Omaha
Nebraska
DePaul University
Chicago
Illinois
Dickinson College
Carlisle
Pennsylvania
Eckerd College
Saint Petersburg
Florida
Elmhurst College
Elmhurst
Illinois
Emmanuel College (Massachusetts)
Boston
Massachusetts
Emory University
Atlanta
Georgia
Fairfield University
Fairfield
Connecticut
Fordham University
Bronx
New York
Franklin and Marshall College | F&M
Lancaster
Pennsylvania
George Washington University | GW
Washington DC
Washington DC
Georgetown University
Washington DC
Washington DC
Goucher College
Baltimore
Maryland
Hamilton College
Clinton
New York
Hendrix College
Conway
Arkansas
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale
Michigan
Hobart and William Smith Colleges | HWS
Geneva
New York
Hofstra University
Hempstead
New York
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington
Illinois
Indiana University Bloomington | Indiana
Bloomington
Indiana
Johns Hopkins University | JHU
Baltimore
Maryland
Knox College
Galesburg
Illinois
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest
Illinois
Lehigh University
Bethlehem
Pennsylvania
Lipscomb University
Nashville
Tennessee
Marist College
Poughkeepsie
New York
Miami University
Oxford
Ohio
Middlebury College
Middlebury
Vermont
Mills College
Oakland
California
Montana State University | MSU
Bozeman
Montana
Muhlenberg College
Allentown
Pennsylvania
New York University | NYU
New York
New York
Northwestern University
Evanston
Illinois
Oberlin College
Oberlin
Ohio
Occidental College
Los Angeles
California
Oklahoma State University | OSU
Stillwater
Oklahoma
Oregon State University | OSU
Corvallis
Oregon
Pace University
New York
New York
Penn State Brandywine
Media
Pennsylvania
Pitzer College
Claremont
California
Pomona College
Claremont
California
Providence College
Providence
Rhode Island
Purdue University
West Lafayette
Indiana
Ramapo College of New Jersey | RCNJ
Mahwah
New Jersey
Reed College
Portland
Oregon
Rider University
Lawrenceville
New Jersey
Roger Williams University | RWU
Bristol
Rhode Island
Rollins College
Winter Park
Florida
Rutgers University–New Brunswick | Rutgers
New Brunswick
New Jersey
Saint Louis University | SLU
Saint Louis
Missouri
San Francisco State University | SF State
San Francisco
California
Scripps College
Claremont
California
Sewanee: The University of the South | Sewanee
Sewanee
Tennessee
Shenandoah University
Winchester
Virginia
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs
New York
Smith College
Northampton
Massachusetts
Springfield College
Springfield
Massachusetts
St. Anselm College
Manchester
New Hampshire
St. John Fisher College
Rochester
New York
St. Michael’s College
Colchester
Vermont
St. Olaf College
Northfield
Minnesota
Stanford University
Stanford
California
Stetson University
DeLand
Florida
Stonehill College
Easton
Massachusetts
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore
Pennsylvania
Temple University
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
The State University of New York at Binghamton | SUNY Binghamton
Vestal
New York
The State University of New York at Geneseo | SUNY Geneseo
Geneseo
New York
The State University of New York at Stony Brook | SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook
New York
Towson University
Towson
Maryland
Trinity College
Hartford
Connecticut
Tufts University
Medford
Massachusetts
Tulane University
New Orleans
Louisiana
Union College (New York)
Schenectady
New York
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa
Alabama
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville
Arkansas
University of California, Berkeley | UC Berkeley
Berkeley
California
University of California, Davis | UC Davis
Davis
California
University of California, Santa Cruz | UCSC
Santa Cruz
California
University of Colorado Boulder | CU Boulder
Boulder
Colorado
University of Connecticut | UConn
Storrs
Connecticut
University of Dayton
Dayton
Ohio
University of Hawaii at Manoa | UH Manoa
Honolulu
Hawaii
University of Idaho
Moscow
Idaho
University of Iowa
Iowa City
Iowa
University of Kansas
Lawrence
Kansas
University of Maryland, Baltimore County | UMBC
Baltimore
Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park | Maryland
College Park
Maryland
University of Massachusetts Boston | UMass Boston
Boston
Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts Lowell | UMass Lowell
Lowell
Massachusetts
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor
Michigan
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities | Minnesota
Minneapolis
Minnesota
University of New Mexico | UNM
Albuquerque
New Mexico
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | UNC
Chapel Hill
North Carolina
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Indiana
University of Pennsylvania | UPenn
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
University of Richmond
University of Richmond
Virginia
University of Rochester
Rochester
New York
University of South Florida | USF
Tampa
Florida
University of Southern California | USC
Los Angeles
California
University of Texas at Austin | UT Austin
Austin
Texas
University of Texas at Dallas | UT Dallas
Richardson
Texas
University of Texas at San Antonio | UTSA
San Antonio
Texas
University of Toledo
Toledo
Ohio
University of Wyoming
Laramie
Wyoming
Ursinus College
Collegeville
Pennsylvania
Utah State University
Logan
Utah
Valparaiso University | Valpo
Valparaiso
Indiana
Vanderbilt University
Nashville
Tennessee
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie
New York
Warner Pacific University
Portland
Oregon
Washington College
Chestertown
Maryland
Washington State University | WSU
Pullman
Washington
Washington University in St. Louis | WashU
Saint Louis
Missouri
Wayne State University | WSU
Detroit
Michigan
Webster University
Saint Louis
Missouri
Wellesley College
Wellesley
Massachusetts
Wesleyan University
Middletown
Connecticut
Western New England University | WNE
Springfield
Massachusetts
Western Washington University | WWU
Bellingham
Washington
Wheaton College (Massachusetts)
Norton
Massachusetts
Willamette University
Salem
Oregon
Williams College
Williamstown
Massachusetts
Yale University
New Haven
Connecticut
Youngstown State University
Youngstown
Ohio
What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?