2027 Best Value French Studies Schools
[French Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/area-studies/french-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong french studies education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools to find the best return on investment for french studies students.
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Finding the Best Value French Studies School for You
The right french studies school can pay off for years to come. That is why we developed our Best Value French Studies Schools ranking. It weighs the cost of a degree against the outcomes graduates go on to achieve, so you can find the strongest return on your investment.
Read more about our methodology
One Size Does Not Fit All
We offer a number of rankings, including this Best Value French Studies Schools list, to help you decide. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
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2027 Best Value French Studies Schools in the United States
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in french studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value French Studies Schools
University Of Washington Seattle Campus tops our 2027 list of the best value french studies schools in the United States. Set in the city of Seattle, University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $12,973, compared with $43,209 for out-of-state students. French Studies graduates carry a median of $14,922 in student loans. Early-career french studies graduates make about $65,681. That is a strong return on a $14,922 median debt. University Of Washington Seattle Campus admits about 39% of applicants.
Bowdoin College came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value french studies schools. Located in the town of Brunswick, Bowdoin College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,832. French Studies graduates carry a median of $24,000 in student loans. French Studies graduates of Bowdoin College earn a median of $45,315 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Bowdoin College admits about 7% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes University Of California Davis one of the best values for french studies. Set in the suburb of Davis, University Of California Davis is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $15,804 in tuition and fees, compared with $47,692 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $14,167 to complete the french studies program here. Soon after graduation, french studies degree recipients from University Of California Davis generally make around $21,527. Set against $14,167 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Ohio University Main Campus earned it the #4 place for french studies. Located in the town of Athens, Ohio University Main Campus is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,158, compared with $24,838 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,546 to complete the french studies program here. Early-career french studies graduates make about $49,736. Set against $24,546 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Ohio University Main Campus admits about 85% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in french studies will find it at The University Of Texas At Austin, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,688, compared with $44,908 for out-of-state students. French Studies graduates carry a median of $22,215 in student loans. Early-career french studies graduates make about $38,223. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Texas At Austin admits about 27% of applicants.
Wellesley College ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value french studies schools. Located in the suburb of Wellesley, Wellesley College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $67,176. French Studies graduates carry a median of $9,525 in student loans. Early-career french studies graduates make about $43,231. Set against $9,525 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 14% of applicants are accepted.
Brown University came in at #7 for value in french studies this year. Located in the city of Providence, Brown University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $71,312. Students borrow a median of $12,000 to complete the french studies program here. French Studies graduates of Brown University earn a median of $39,165 early in their careers. Set against $12,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 5% of applicants are accepted.
Barnard College came in at #8 for value in french studies this year. Barnard College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Students from in state pay about $69,888 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $19,000 to complete the french studies program here. French Studies graduates of Barnard College earn a median of $34,142 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 9% of applicants are accepted.
Dartmouth College landed the #9 spot for french studies value this year. Located in the town of Hanover, Dartmouth College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,019. Students borrow a median of $16,520 to complete the french studies program here. Soon after graduation, french studies degree recipients from Dartmouth College generally make around $81,992. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 5% of applicants are accepted.
Duke University placed #10 among the best values for french studies. Located in the city of Durham, Duke University is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $68,758. Typical student debt for french studies graduates is $13,296. Soon after graduation, french studies degree recipients from Duke University generally make around $83,388. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 6%.
Wesleyan University landed the #11 spot for french studies value this year. Set in the city of Middletown, Wesleyan University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $70,042. French Studies graduates carry a median of $16,125 in student loans. Soon after graduation, french studies degree recipients from Wesleyan University generally make around $39,764. Set against $16,125 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 16% of applicants are accepted.
Brandeis University earned the #12 position for value in french studies this year. Located in the city of Waltham, Brandeis University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $68,080. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the french studies program here. French Studies graduates of Brandeis University earn a median of $43,748 early in their careers. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 40% of applicants are accepted.
New York University placed #13 among the best values for french studies. Set in the city of New York, New York University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $62,796 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $19,250 to complete the french studies program here. French Studies graduates of New York University earn a median of $51,233 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 9% of applicants are accepted.
American University came in at #14 for value in french studies this year. American University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. In-state tuition and fees average $58,771. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the french studies program here. Early-career french studies graduates make about $54,585. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 62%.
Fordham University landed the #15 spot for french studies value this year. Set in the city of Bronx, Fordham University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $64,470. Students borrow a median of $26,884 to complete the french studies program here. Early-career french studies graduates make about $40,811. Set against $26,884 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Fordham University admits about 59% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 15 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.
