Ethnic Studies

Types of Degrees Ethnic Studies Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many ethnic studies graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	492
Graduate Certificate	491
Doctor’s Degree	98

What Ethnic Studies Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to ethnic studies were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Ethnic Studies Majors

Ethnic Studies majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Foreign Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
• Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

Skills for Ethnic Studies Majors

When studying ethnic studies, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Ethnic Studies Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a ethnic studies student include the following:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Ethnic Studies Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with ethnic studies:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Professors	10.4%	$74,440
Interpreters and Translators	17.7%	$49,930

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Ethnic Studies?

This major is dominated by women with about 78% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of ethnic studies majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	20
Black or African American	96
Hispanic or Latino	91
White	164
International Students	30
Other Races/Ethnicities	91

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Ethnic Studies. About 6.1% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• South Korea
• Canada
• Japan
• India

How Much Do Ethnic Studies Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in ethnic studies was $52,708 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $46,227 (25th percentile) and $60,217 (75th percentile).

One thing to note here is that not all of these people may be working in careers related to ethnic studies.

Salaries According to BLS

Ethnic Studies majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $55,230 to $85,450 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Ethnic Studies

Some degrees associated with ethnic studies may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for ethnic studies careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	0.5%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	0.4%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	3.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	17.0%
Master’s Degree	29.6%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	5.1%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.8%
Doctoral Degree	41.5%
Post-Doctoral Training	2.7%

Online Ethnic Studies Programs

In 2020-2021, 646 schools offered a ethnic studies program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	18	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	9	0
Associate’s Degree	170	6
Bachelor’s Degree	141	10
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	137	5
Post-Master’s	18	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	59	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Ethnic Studies Worth It?

The median salary for a ethnic studies grad is $55,230 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 38% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $306,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Ethnic Studies

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to ethnic studies.

Major	Number of Grads
Area Studies	1,825
Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Other)	5

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By G. MГјtzel under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.