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2023 Best Value Colleges for Classical & Ancient Studies

22 Ranked Colleges
275 Degrees Awarded
$24,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Classics Schools

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Classics Schools” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 275 people earned their degree in classical and ancient studies, making the major the 309th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, classical and ancient studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $0 and had an average of $26,214 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Classics Schools” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered a degree in classical and ancient studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent classical and ancient studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the classical and ancient studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Classics Schools” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Classics Schools

The colleges and universities below are the best for classics students.

Top 22 Best Value Colleges for Classical & Ancient Studies

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Classics Schools. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a large public school situated in Lincoln, Nebraska. It awarded 14 ’s classics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNL, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNL is $17,013 for Classics students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Classical & Ancient Studies at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

2
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University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Kansas. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Classics Schools. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified ’s classics students in 2020-2021.

KU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Kansas is $20,257 for Classics students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Classical & Ancient Studies at University of Kansas

3

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Classics Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Maryland - Baltimore County landed the #3 spot on the list. UMBC is a fairly large school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 8 ’s classics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our classics students list, UMBC has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $19,460 for Classics students per year to attend UMBC.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Classical & Ancient Studies at University of Maryland - Baltimore County

4
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University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Classics Schools. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s classics degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $19,401 for classics students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Classical & Ancient Studies at University of Iowa

5
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New York University
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend New York University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Classics Schools. New York University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 6 ’s classics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NYU, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NYU is $38,569 for Classics students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full NYU Classical & Ancient Studies Report

6

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Classics Schools list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified ’s classics students in 2020-2021.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $15,023 for classics students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCLA Classical & Ancient Studies Report

7

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Classics Schools list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s classics degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also took the #1 spot in our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for classics students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Classical & Ancient Studies at University of California - Berkeley

8

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Classics Schools ranking, coming in at #8. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $15,768 for Classics students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Classical & Ancient Studies at University of California - Davis

9

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Classics Schools ranking, coming in at #9. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s classics degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

U-M also made our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $14,878 for classics students.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Classical & Ancient Studies Report

10
St. Anselm College crest
Saint Anselm College
Manchester, New Hampshire

Saint Anselm College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Classics Schools ranking, coming in at #10. This small school is located in Manchester, New Hampshire, and it awarded 2 ’s classics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Anselm College, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $32,819 for Classics students per year to attend Saint Anselm College.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Classical & Ancient Studies at St. Anselm College

11
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Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Classics Schools ranking. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified ’s classics students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rice, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,076 for classics students per year to attend Rice University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Classical & Ancient Studies at Rice University

12
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University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia

With a ranking of #12, University of Richmond did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Classics Schools list. This small school is located in University of Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 5 ’s classics degrees in 2020-2021.

URichmond also made our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $27,050 for Classics students per year to attend University of Richmond.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Classical & Ancient Studies at University of Richmond

13
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George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

George Washington University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Classics Schools ranking. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified ’s classics students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our classics students list, GWU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for George Washington University is $32,563 for Classics students.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full George Washington University Classical & Ancient Studies Report

14
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Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, Massachusetts

Mount Holyoke College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Classics Schools ranking. Mount Holyoke College is a small school located in South Hadley, Massachusetts that handed out 3 ’s classics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our classics students list, Mt. Holyoke has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mt. Holyoke is $28,724 for Classics students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Classical & Ancient Studies at Mount Holyoke College

15
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Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Classics Schools list. Vanderbilt is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 9 ’s classics degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also made our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $19,970 for classics students per year to attend Vanderbilt University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Classical & Ancient Studies at Vanderbilt University

16
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Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

Syracuse University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Classics Schools ranking. Syracuse is located in Syracuse, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s classics degrees to qualified students.

Syracuse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” list. It costs about $34,683 for Classics students per year to attend Syracuse.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Classical & Ancient Studies at Syracuse

17
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Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Classics Schools ranking. Boston University is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 7 ’s classics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boston U, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Boston U is $30,395 for Classics students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Boston University Classical & Ancient Studies Report

18

Washington University in St Louis came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Classics Schools ranking. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 4 ’s classics degrees in 2020-2021.

WUSTL also made our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $26,921 for Classics students per year to attend WUSTL.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Classical & Ancient Studies at WUSTL

19
Colby crest
Colby College
Waterville, Maine

With a ranking of #19, Colby College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Classics Schools list. Colby is located in Waterville, Maine and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s classics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colby, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Colby is $19,597 for Classics students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Classical & Ancient Studies at Colby

20
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Fordham University
Bronx, New York

Fordham University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Classics Schools ranking, coming in at #20. Bronx, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s classics degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

Fordham U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” list. It costs about $38,147 for Classics students per year to attend Fordham University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Classical & Ancient Studies at Fordham University

21
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Franklin and Marshall College
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Franklin and Marshall College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Classics Schools list. Franklin and Marshall College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It awarded 2 ’s classics degrees in 2020-2021.

Franklin and Marshall did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Franklin and Marshall College is $30,911 for Classics students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Classical & Ancient Studies at Franklin and Marshall

22
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Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Classics Schools list. Poughkeepsie, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s classics degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vassar, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Classical & Ancient Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vassar College is $27,499 for classics students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Classical & Ancient Studies at Vassar

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