2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 the Southwest region, there were 301 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,500 and $25,548 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 70 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $53,078 and $37,227 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 3 colleges that offered a degree in area studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent area studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the area studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 3 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

#1

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, Texas

#1 in overall quality

$22,886 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$44,189 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Austin. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 23 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also made our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Austin are $22,886, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UT Austin Area Studies Report

#2

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

#2 in overall quality

$33,399 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$32,569 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Arizona. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 17 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Arizona has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Arizona are $33,399, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Area Studies at University of Arizona

#3

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico

$19,890 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and it awarded 6 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UNM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #0 on our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UNM are $19,890, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UNM Area Studies Report

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k)

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.

Credits

• Credit for the banner image above goes to Karl Udo Gerth.

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