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Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies

Instructional programs that focus on the defined areas, regions, and countries of the world; defined minority groups within and across societies; and issues relevant to collective gender and group experience.

Types of Degrees Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies Majors Are Earning

Those studying Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	105
Associate’s Degree	869
Bachelor’s Degree	8,288
Master’s Degree	5,411
Doctor’s Degree	359

What Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies Majors Need to Know

Studies in Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Foreign Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies graduates include:

• Latin American Studies Professor
• Lecturer
• Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Women’s Studies Professor
• Ethnology Teacher
• Black Studies Professor
• Gender Studies Lecturer
• Humanities Professor
• Ethnic Studies Teacher
• University Faculty Member
• College Faculty Member
• Adjunct Professor
• Associate Professor
• Ethnology Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	59.8%
Master’s degree	30.9%
Post-doctoral training	3.9%
Post-master’s certificate	3.2%
First professional degree	1.1%
Bachelor’s degree	0.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 72.3% of Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	10,882	72.3%
Men	4,162	27.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6,304	41.9%
Asian	1,142	7.6%
Hispanic or Latino	3,319	22.1%
Black or African American	1,655	11.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	314	2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	70	0.5%
Two or More Races	968	6.4%
Race Unknown	306	2.0%
International Students	966	6.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$34,569
4 years	$50,126
5 years	$58,481

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $58,481 — roughly 69% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	42	40
Bachelor’s	44	70
Master’s	28	18
Doctoral (Research)	2	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies graduates earn a median of $50,126 four years after completion — roughly 32% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.