2027 Best Value Area Studies, Other Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[Area Studies, Other](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/area-studies/area-studies-other/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong area studies, other education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for area studies, other students.
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2027 Best Value Area Studies, Other Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in area studies, other, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Area Studies, Other Schools
For return on investment in area studies, other, no school beat University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign this year. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,267, while out-of-state students pay about $40,096. Typical student debt for area studies, other graduates is $22,050. Area Studies, Other graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $24,332 early in their careers. Set against $22,050 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in area studies, other will find it at University Of Wisconsin Madison, which ranked #2. University Of Wisconsin Madison is a very large public school located in the city of Madison. In-state tuition and fees average $11,603, compared with $42,103 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,850 to complete the area studies, other program here. Early-career area studies, other graduates make about $59,877. Set against $20,850 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 45%.
A rank of #3 makes Ohio University Main Campus one of the best values for area studies, other. Set in the town of Athens, Ohio University Main Campus is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $14,158 in tuition and fees, compared with $24,838 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for area studies, other graduates is $24,546. Area Studies, Other graduates of Ohio University Main Campus earn a median of $49,736 early in their careers. Set against $24,546 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 85%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.