2026 Best Value French Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

[French Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/area-studies/french-studies/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong french studies education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 10 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value french studies schools.
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2026 Best Value French Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the french studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value French Studies Schools
Leading the list is New York University, our #1 best value for french studies in the Middle Atlantic Region. Located in the city of New York, New York University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $62,796. Typical student debt for french studies graduates is $19,250. 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.
Students looking for strong value in french studies will find it at Barnard College, which ranked #2. Barnard College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $69,888. Students borrow a median of $19,000 to complete the french studies program here. Soon after graduation, french studies degree recipients from Barnard College generally make around $50,790. That is a strong return on a $19,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 9%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Fordham University earned it the #3 place for french studies. Set in the city of Bronx, Fordham University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $64,470. Typical student debt for french studies graduates is $26,884. Soon after graduation, french studies degree recipients from Fordham University generally make around $59,403. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 59% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.