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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k) in Minnesota

5 Ranked Colleges
85 Degrees Awarded
$9,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in Minnesota For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 6,820 people earned their degree in area studies, making the major the 106th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, area studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,734 and had an average of $23,024 in loans still to pay off.

Across Minnesota, there were 90 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,800 and $20,950 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 85 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,526 and $26,035 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 5 colleges that offered a degree in area studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great area studies programs and cost less that 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 area studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 5 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k) in Minnesota

#1

Carleton College

Northfield, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Carleton College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our minnesota bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Carleton has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Carleton College is $9,579 for minnesota bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Area Studies at Carleton College

#2

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $7,266 for Minnesota Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this fairly large public school awarded 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” list. It costs about $7,443 for minnesota bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMN Duluth.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Duluth Area Studies Report

#4

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend St Olaf College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

St. Olaf did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” list. The estimated yearly cost for St Olaf College is $12,459 for Minnesota Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full St Olaf College Area Studies Report

#5 in overall quality

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Minnesota For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #5 spot on the list. Minnesota State Mankato is located in Mankato, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Minnesota State Mankato, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Minnesota” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Mankato is $11,057 for Minnesota Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Minnesota State Mankato Area Studies Report

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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