2023 Best Value Colleges for American U.S. Studies (Income $0-$30k)
51
Ranked Colleges
1,419
Degrees Awarded
$6,800
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
American U.S. Studies is the 350th most popular major in the country with 1,419 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
This year’s “Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 51 colleges that offered a degree in American U.S. studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality American U.S. studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the American U.S. studies program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank American U.S. Studies Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for American U.S. Studies (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brown University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brown University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 24 ’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Brown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best American U.S. Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Brown University is $1,468 for united states studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Brown American U.S. Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 6 ’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best American U.S. Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $1,233 for United States Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Stanford American U.S. Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 29 degrees to qualified ’s United States studies students in 2020-2021.
Yale not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best American U.S. Studies Schools” list. It costs about $961 for united states studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Yale.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about American U.S. Studies at Yale University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Williams College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It awarded 13 ’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Williams, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,451 for united states studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Williams.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on American U.S. Studies at Williams
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Georgetown University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Georgetown University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 25 ’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Georgetown also made our “Best American U.S. Studies Schools” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Georgetown is $3,077 for united states studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Georgetown American U.S. Studies Report
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 25 ’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our united states studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, U-M has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best American U.S. Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $2,670 for united states studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on American U.S. Studies at U-M
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s United States studies degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill also took the #18 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $3,753 for United States Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UNC Chapel Hill American U.S. Studies Report
Tufts University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tufts is a fairly large school located in Medford, Massachusetts that handed out 16 ’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our united states studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Tufts has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best American U.S. Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,122 for united states studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Tufts University.
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%. 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%.
Full Tufts University American U.S. Studies Report
Cornell University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cornell is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 17 ’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell also took the #10 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell is $5,244 for United States Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Cornell American U.S. Studies Report
Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2023 Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Columbia is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 32 ’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia also made our “Best American U.S. Studies Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $9,873 for united states studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read full report on American U.S. Studies at Columbia
With a ranking of #11, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 80 diplomas to qualified ’s United States studies students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,450 for United States Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Berkeley.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on American U.S. Studies at University of California - Berkeley
With a ranking of #12, Middlebury College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Middlebury, Vermont, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 degrees to qualified ’s United States studies students in 2020-2021.
Middlebury also made our “Best American U.S. Studies Schools” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $6,294 for united states studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Middlebury.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Middlebury College American U.S. Studies Report
Wellesley College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified ’s United States studies students in 2020-2021.
Wellesley also took the #8 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wellesley is $9,674 for United States Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Wellesley College American U.S. Studies Report
William & Mary did quite well in the 2023 Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Williamsburg, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s United States studies degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,972 for United States Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend William & Mary.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full William & Mary American U.S. Studies Report
Amherst College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees to qualified ’s United States studies students in 2020-2021.
Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best American U.S. Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Amherst College is $4,468 for United States Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Amherst American U.S. Studies Report
Smith College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Smith College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northampton, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Smith, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Smith is $9,215 for united states studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about American U.S. Studies at Smith College
Emory University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. This fairly large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 5 ’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Emory, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Emory is $8,538 for united states studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read full report on American U.S. Studies at Emory University
Barnard College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in New York, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified ’s United States studies students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our united states studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Barnard has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best American U.S. Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Barnard is $20,177 for united states studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about American U.S. Studies at Barnard
With a ranking of #19, Trinity College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Trinity College is a small school located in Hartford, Connecticut that handed out 14 ’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $9,349 for United States Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Trinity Bantams.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on American U.S. Studies at Trinity College
Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 3 ’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $5,752 for united states studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Indiana University - Bloomington American U.S. Studies Report
Brandeis University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brandeis is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Waltham, Massachusetts. It awarded 12 ’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brandeis, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,389 for United States Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Brandeis.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about American U.S. Studies at Brandeis University
With a ranking of #22, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2023 Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMCP is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Maryland - College Park is $6,067 for united states studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about American U.S. Studies at University of Maryland - College Park
Brigham Young University - Provo came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Provo, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s United States studies degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
BYU also took the #25 spot in our “Best American U.S. Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Provo is $9,445 for united states studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Brigham Young University - Provo American U.S. Studies Report
With a ranking of #24, Oberlin College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oberlin is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oberlin, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,756 for united states studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oberlin.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 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.
Read more about American U.S. Studies at Oberlin College
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value United States Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 21 ’s United States studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $6,663 for united states studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, 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.
Full CSULB American U.S. Studies Report
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