Best Area programs in Tennessee, ranked by enrollment
Teach courses pertaining to the culture and development of an area, an ethnic group, or any other group, such as Latin American studies, women's studies, or urban affairs.
11 schools in Tennessee run programs that feed this job, graduating 120 people a year. The job pays a median of $75,060 in Tennessee across about 60 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Tennessee that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
18 programs in Tennessee that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Tennessee (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Tennessee page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American/United States Studies/Civilizationmain feeder CIP 05.0102In Tennessee → | 23 | 19.2% | 4 | $34,211 | $21,627 |
| 2 | CIP 30.2202In Tennessee → | 16 | 13.3% | 1 | $32,054 | $24,000 |
| 3 | CIP 05.0201In Tennessee → | 15 | 12.5% | 4 | $31,459 | $23,000 |
| 4 | Asian Studies/Civilizationmain feeder CIP 05.0103In Tennessee → | 11 | 9.2% | 3 | $34,211 | $21,627 |
| 5 | CIP 05.0211In Tennessee → | 11 | 9.2% | 2 | $31,459 | $23,000 |
| 6 | CIP 05.0299In Tennessee → | 11 | 9.2% | 2 | $31,459 | $23,000 |
| 7 | CIP 05.0207In Tennessee → | 6 | 5.0% | 3 | $31,459 | $23,000 |
| 8 | CIP 30.2301In Tennessee → | 5 | 4.2% | 2 | $25,750 | $18,622 |
| 9 | Appalachian Studiesmain feeder CIP 05.0135In Tennessee → | 4 | 3.3% | 1 | $34,211 | $21,627 |
| 10 | CIP 05.0203In Tennessee → | 4 | 3.3% | 1 | $31,459 | $23,000 |
| 11 | European Studies/Civilizationmain feeder CIP 05.0106In Tennessee → | 3 | 2.5% | 1 | $34,211 | $21,627 |
| 12 | German Studiesmain feeder CIP 05.0125In Tennessee → | 3 | 2.5% | 1 | $34,211 | $21,627 |
| 13 | East Asian Studiesmain feeder CIP 05.0104In Tennessee → | 2 | 1.7% | 1 | $34,211 | $21,627 |
| 14 | Latin American Studiesmain feeder CIP 05.0107In Tennessee → | 2 | 1.7% | 2 | $34,211 | $21,627 |
| 15 | Russian Studiesmain feeder CIP 05.0110In Tennessee → | 1 | 0.8% | 1 | $34,211 | $21,627 |
| 16 | CIP 30.2601In Tennessee → | 1 | 0.8% | 1 | $21,458 | $21,125 |
| 17 | CIP 05.0206In Tennessee → | 1 | 0.8% | 1 | $31,459 | $23,000 |
| 18 | CIP 30.1202In Tennessee → | 1 | 0.8% | 1 | $35,326 | $22,812 |
Top 11 schools in Tennessee
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 0 of the 11 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 10 feeder programs | 54 | Classical, Ancient Mediterranean, and Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology | — | 94% | $14,854 | 6% |
| 2 | Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 18 | American/United States Studies/Civilization | — | 54% | — | 69% |
| 3 | The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN Public · 3 feeder programs | 14 | Deaf Studies | — | 74% | — | 42% |
| 4 | University of Memphis Memphis, TN Public · 3 feeder programs | 11 | African-American/Black Studies | — | 51% | — | 72% |
| 5 | Rhodes College Memphis, TN Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 6 | East Asian Studies | — | 85% | $19,854 | 50% |
| 6 | East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 5 | Appalachian Studies | — | 53% | — | 86% |
| 7 | The University of the South Sewanee, TN Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 5 | Asian Studies/Civilization | — | 80% | $21,573 | 57% |
| 8 | Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies | — | 53% | $14,286 | 69% |
| 9 | Belmont University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Asian Studies/Civilization | — | 71% | $29,246 | 95% |
| 10 | Lipscomb University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | American/United States Studies/Civilization | — | 72% | $24,309 | 68% |
| 11 | Union University Jackson, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis | — | 66% | $25,882 | 60% |
All 11 schools in Tennessee
Every school in Tennessee with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 54 | 10 |
| Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro | Public | 18 | 2 |
| The University of Tennessee - Knoxville | Knoxville | Public | 14 | 3 |
| University of Memphis | Memphis | Public | 11 | 3 |
| Rhodes College | Memphis | Private not-for-profit | 6 | 5 |
| East Tennessee State University | Johnson City | Public | 5 | 2 |
| The University of the South | Sewanee | Private not-for-profit | 5 | 3 |
| Trevecca Nazarene University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 3 | 1 |
| Belmont University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 2 | 1 |
| Lipscomb University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 1 | 1 |
| Union University | Jackson | Private not-for-profit | 1 | 1 |
What area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary earn in Tennessee
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $85,020. Tennessee pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary page.
How to become a Area
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
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).
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.
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.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Tennessee
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 25 majors mapped to Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary21 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 05.0101African Studies
- 05.0102American/United States Studies/Civilization
- 05.0103Asian Studies/Civilization
- 05.0104East Asian Studies
- 05.0105Russian, Central European, East European and Eurasian Studies
- 05.0106European Studies/Civilization
- 05.0107Latin American Studies
- 05.0108Near and Middle Eastern Studies
- 05.0109Pacific Area/Pacific Rim Studies
- 05.0110Russian Studies
- 05.0111Scandinavian Studies
- 05.0112South Asian Studies
- 05.0113Southeast Asian Studies
- 05.0114Western European Studies
- 05.0115Canadian Studies
- 05.0116Balkans Studies(no graduates reported)
- 05.0117Baltic Studies(no graduates reported)
- 05.0118Slavic Studies
- 05.0119Caribbean Studies(no graduates reported)
- 05.0120Ural-Altaic and Central Asian Studies
- 05.0121Commonwealth Studies(no graduates reported)
- 05.0122Regional Studies (U.S., Canadian, Foreign)
- 05.0123Chinese Studies
- 05.0124French Studies
- 05.0125German Studies
Common questions
Answers for people weighing area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary programs in Tennessee.
What degree do you need to become an Area?+
Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is American/United States Studies/Civilization, which awarded 23 degrees in Tennessee in 2024-25, 19.2% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Area?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 18 programs to this occupation. The largest are Area Studies, Ethnic, Classical and Ancient Studies, Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies, plus 2 more. Together they graduate about 120 people a year in Tennessee.
How much do area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary earn in Tennessee?+
The median is $75,060 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 11.7% below the U.S. median of $85,020. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary growing?+
BLS projects a +2.4% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 1,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Tennessee?+
11 institutions in Tennessee reported graduates from at least one of the 18 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Professor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Women's Studies Professor among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-1062.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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