Best institutions to study Russian
A program that focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of the region encompassing Russia, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia, including the Balkan, Baltic, Caucasus, and Central Asian states that were republics of the former Soviet Union.
12 U.S. institutions graduated 69 Russian students in 2024–25 (IPEDS). It is CIP 05.0105, a specialization of Area Studies (CIP 05.01), and leads most directly to the Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary occupation (BLS SOC 25-1062).
About Russian programs
A program that focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of the region encompassing Russia, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia, including the Balkan, Baltic, Caucasus, and Central Asian states that were republics of the former Soviet Union.
See also: 05.0110 - Russian Studies.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020).
The Russian (Area Studies) program, officially titled Russian, Central European, East European and Eurasian Studies, focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of Russia and its surrounding regions. This program is ideal for students interested in exploring the complexities of the area, including the Balkan, Baltic, Caucasus, and Central Asian states that were once part of the Soviet Union.
Students in this program develop essential skills such as reading comprehension, critical thinking, and effective communication. Coursework often includes topics related to race and ethnic relations, gender studies, and cross-cultural perspectives, equipping graduates with a well-rounded understanding of the region's diverse cultures and histories.
Credentials awarded
What Russian graduates earned in 2024–25, by award level (IPEDS completions).
- Master's degree40 graduates / yr · 4 institutions58%
- Bachelor's degree15 graduates / yr · 7 institutions22%
- Award of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year14 graduates / yr · 2 institutions20%
Graduates over time
Russian completions reported to IPEDS each year, all award levels combined.
| Year | Graduates |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 62 |
| 2013 | 76 |
| 2014 | 59 |
| 2015 | 72 |
| 2016 | 78 |
| 2017 | 70 |
| 2018 | 76 |
| 2019 | 91 |
| 2020 | 70 |
| 2021 | 65 |
| 2022 | 70 |
| 2023 | 74 |
| 2024 | 72 |
| 2025 | 69 |
Top 12 institutions for Russian, ranked by graduates
Graduates (IPEDS completions), 2024–25. Award levels show which credentials each institution confers in this specialization.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Field earnings* (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgetown University Washington, DCPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 21 | 95% | $22,242 | — |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WIPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearMaster's | 13 | 90% | — | — |
| 3 | Stanford University Stanford, CAPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 10 | 92% | $12,032 | — |
| 4 | Harvard University Cambridge, MAPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 8 | 98% | $15,013 | — |
| 5 | Smith College Northampton, MAPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 7 | 89% | $17,183 | $29,878 |
| 6 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 2 | 68% | — | — |
| 7 | Stetson University DeLand, FLPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 2 | 62% | $21,948 | — |
| 8 | Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OHPublicBachelor's | 2 | 80% | — | $50,637 |
| 9 | University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CAPublicBachelor's | 1 | 86% | — | — |
| 10 | Florida State University Tallahassee, FLPublicBachelor's | 1 | 86% | — | — |
| 11 | University of Massachusetts - Amherst Amherst, MAPublicBachelor's | 1 | 83% | — | — |
| 12 | Tufts University Medford, MAPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 1 | 94% | $23,570 | $44,133 |
* Median earnings 1 year after graduation for the broader Area Studies field (CIP 05.01) at these institutions; College Scorecard does not publish earnings at the 6-digit level.
Offered in 7 states
Where Russian graduates come from. Each state links to all Area Studies programs offered there.
| State | Institutions | Graduates / yr | Top institution by graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 1 | 21 | Georgetown University21 / yr |
| Massachusetts | 4 | 17 | Harvard University8 / yr |
| Wisconsin | 1 | 13 | University of Wisconsin - Madison13 / yr |
| California | 2 | 11 | Stanford University10 / yr |
| Florida | 2 | 3 | Stetson University2 / yr |
| Arizona | 1 | 2 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion2 / yr |
| Ohio | 1 | 2 | Miami University - Oxford2 / yr |
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 25-1062, Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary, and its national outlook.
Graduates of the Russian (Area Studies) program can pursue careers as Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers at the postsecondary level. The job outlook for this field is about as fast as average, with an expected growth of 2.4% and approximately 1,100 annual openings. The median wage for this occupation is $84,290, typically requiring a doctoral or professional degree.
Top-paying metros
Career pathways for CIP 05.0105
The occupations the NCES crosswalk maps this 6-digit code to, with BLS pay and 10-year outlook.
| Occupation | US median pay | Growth | Openings / yr | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondaryprimary SOC 25-1062 | $85,020 | +2.4% About as fast as average | ~1,100 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- Experience
- Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
- Training
- Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Related careers
Skills & knowledge in Russian programs
From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this specialization most leads to.
Skills you'll build
Knowledge areas
Abilities that matter most
Day-to-day work activities
What graduates do on the job
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as race and ethnic relations, gender studies, and cross-cultural perspectives.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
Tools and technology used
Other Area Studies specializations
The 36 other 6-digit CIP codes under Area Studies (CIP 05.01).
- American/CIP 05.0102
United States Studies/ Civilization 1,027 graduates / yr120 institutions - Regional Studies (U.S.CIP 05.0122partial data783 graduates / yr8 institutions
- Asian Studies/CIP 05.0103
Civilization 549 graduates / yr94 institutions - Area StudiesCIP 05.0199505 graduates / yr65 institutions
- East Asian StudiesCIP 05.0104446 graduates / yr62 institutions
- Latin American StudiesCIP 05.0107365 graduates / yr86 institutions
- Near and Middle Eastern StudiesCIP 05.0108261 graduates / yr46 institutions
- African StudiesCIP 05.0101171 graduates / yr45 institutions
- European Studies/CIP 05.0106
Civilization 161 graduates / yr27 institutions - Russian StudiesCIP 05.011081 graduates / yr30 institutions
- French StudiesCIP 05.012478 graduates / yr26 institutions
- Latin American and Caribbean StudiesCIP 05.013466 graduates / yr18 institutions
- Japanese StudiesCIP 05.012756 graduates / yr15 institutions
- Italian StudiesCIP 05.012645 graduates / yr18 institutions
- Spanish and Iberian StudiesCIP 05.0130partial data43 graduates / yr7 institutions
- Western European StudiesCIP 05.0114partial data40 graduates / yr5 institutions
- German StudiesCIP 05.012537 graduates / yr17 institutions
- Chinese StudiesCIP 05.012329 graduates / yr12 institutions
- Pacific Area/CIP 05.0109
Pacific Rim Studies partial data28 graduates / yr5 institutions - Scandinavian StudiesCIP 05.0111partial data20 graduates / yr5 institutions
- South Asian StudiesCIP 05.0112partial data20 graduates / yr5 institutions
- Ural-Altaic and Central Asian StudiesCIP 05.0120limited data14 graduates / yr2 institutions
- Southeast Asian StudiesCIP 05.0113partial data12 graduates / yr4 institutions
- Slavic StudiesCIP 05.0118limited data12 graduates / yr2 institutions
- Appalachian StudiesCIP 05.0135limited data8 graduates / yr2 institutions
- Korean StudiesCIP 05.0128limited data6 graduates / yr2 institutions
- Irish StudiesCIP 05.0133limited data6 graduates / yr2 institutions
- Canadian StudiesCIP 05.0115limited data2 graduates / yr1 institutions
Show 8 more CIP codes with no U.S. programs reported+
- Balkans Studies05.0116
- Baltic Studies05.0117
- Caribbean Studies05.0119
- Commonwealth Studies05.0121
- Polish Studies05.0129
- Tibetan Studies05.0131
- Ukraine Studies05.0132
- Arctic Studies05.0136
No institution reported completions for these codes in the latest IPEDS year, so they have no page.
Common questions
What degrees can I earn in this program?+
You can earn a Bachelor's degree, a Master's degree, or an award of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year.
What skills will I develop?+
You will develop skills in reading comprehension, critical thinking, active learning, and effective communication.
What careers can I pursue after graduation?+
You can pursue a career as a postsecondary Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teacher.
What is the job outlook for this field?+
The job outlook is about as fast as average, with a growth rate of 2.4% and around 1,100 annual job openings.
What is the CIP code for Russian?+
Russian is CIP 05.0105 in the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020), a 6-digit specialization within Area Studies (CIP 05.01). NCES defines it as: A program that focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of the region encompassing Russia, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia, including the Balkan, Baltic, Caucasus, and Central Asian states that were republics of the former Soviet Union.
How many institutions offer Russian programs?+
12 U.S. institutions reported Russian graduates in IPEDS 2024–25, across 7 states, awarding 69 credentials in the year. That is 1.4% of all Area Studies graduates.
How much do Russian graduates earn?+
Earnings are not published at the 6-digit CIP level by any federal source. The Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary occupation, which Russian most directly leads to, pays a median of $85,020 a year nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025), and graduates of the broader Area Studies field report median earnings of $44,133 one year after graduation (College Scorecard).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
Program definitions are from the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020). Skills, knowledge, abilities, work activities, tools, and job zones are from the O*NET database by the U.S. Department of Labor, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Explore every U.S. college in one conversation
Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card