Best Ethnic & Cultural Studies Schools (2026): 5 Ranked by Salary & ROI
These are the top schools offering Ethnic & Cultural Studies, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Ethnic & Cultural Studies graduate earns $28,384/yr across 5 schools.
BLS projects 2.0% employment growth for occupations in this field from 2024–2034, with approximately 8 annual job openings per related program area.
All Ethnic & Cultural Studies Programs Ranked
Click any row for full earnings projections and career path breakdown.
| # | School | TSW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA · Ethnic & Cultural Studies |
45
35–50 |
$34,216/yr | 50.1x |
| 2 |
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, MO · Ethnic & Cultural Studies |
41
36–45 |
$37,389/yr | 25.5x |
| 3 |
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI · Ethnic & Cultural Studies |
38
33–42 |
$30,504/yr | 29.4x |
| 4 |
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL · Ethnic & Cultural Studies |
36
31–40 |
$22,286/yr | 44.7x |
| 5 |
College of the Muscogee Nation
Okmulgee, OK · Ethnic & Cultural Studies |
25
18–29 |
$17,525/yr | 12.3x |
Programs by State
Top states by program availability. Click a state for the full in-state ranking.
About This Ranking
What we ranked
Best Ethnic & Cultural Studies Schools ranks 5 programs across the United States by the TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines graduate earnings, return on investment, and job-market demand into a single 0-100 metric.
Data sources
Earnings figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, which tracks graduate income one and five years after program completion. Job-market projections use Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 employment data.
How to read the table
Use the sort controls below the headline to re-rank by earnings, ROI, or other metrics. Click any school name for full earnings projections, three-scenario modeling, and detailed program data. Most students attend a school within driving distance — local rankings are usually more actionable than national.
Caveats & limitations
Rankings reflect what the data can measure: post-graduation earnings, debt levels, and broad labor-market trends. They cannot capture program quality nuances like instructor expertise, hands-on equipment access, or industry connections. Treat rankings as a starting point — visit schools and talk to current students before committing.
Methodology
Programs are ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (projected earnings vs. program tuition).
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.