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Ethnic Studies

A program that focuses on the interdisciplinary and comparative study of the history, sociology, politics, culture, and economics of North American racial and ethnic groups, including African Americans, American Indians/Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans.

Types of Degrees Ethnic Studies Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Ethnic Studies can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	77
Associate’s Degree	704
Bachelor’s Degree	4,797
Master’s Degree	3,399
Doctor’s Degree	136

What Ethnic Studies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Ethnic Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Foreign Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• History and Archeology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Ethnic Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Ethnic 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 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Ethnic Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 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 Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
FileMaker Pro	Data base user interface and query software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Ethnic Studies graduates include:

• Associate Professor
• Gender Studies Lecturer
• Adjunct Professor
• Faculty Lecturer
• College Professor
• Latin American Studies Professor
• Ethnic Studies Teacher
• Women’s Studies Professor
• Hawaiian Studies Lecturer
• American Studies Professor
• Professor
• African Studies Professor
• Ethnic Origins Teacher
• University Faculty Member
• Ethnology Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	57.8%
Master’s degree	30.8%
Post-doctoral training	3.8%
Post-master’s certificate	3.3%
Bachelor’s degree	2.4%
First professional degree	1.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.2%
Postsecondary certificate	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Ethnic Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 80.3% of Ethnic Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	7,322	80.3%
Men	1,800	19.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3,666	40.2%
Asian	587	6.4%
Hispanic or Latino	2,293	25.1%
Black or African American	1,224	13.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	292	3.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	54	0.6%
Two or More Races	615	6.7%
Race Unknown	153	1.7%
International Students	238	2.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Ethnic Studies Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Ethnic Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$32,619
4 years	$46,128
5 years	$53,144

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $53,144 — roughly 63% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Ethnic Studies Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Ethnic 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	18	19
Bachelor’s	19	25
Master’s	10	3
Doctoral (Research)	1	1

^{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 Studies Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Ethnic Studies graduates earn a median of $46,128 four years after completion — roughly 21% 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.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Ethnic Cultural Gender Studies	15,044
Area Studies	5,875
Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, and Group Studies, Other	47
AREA, ETHNIC, CULTURAL, GENDER, AND GROUP STUDIES	—

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.