2023 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
20
Ranked Colleges
1,538
Degrees Awarded
$13,600
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Area Studies is the 115th most popular major in the country with 6,966 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, area studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $33,127 and had an average of $20,927 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Middle Atlantic region, there were 1,538 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,912 and $23,607 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the area studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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 in the Middle Atlantic 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 20 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgetown University landed the #1 spot on the list. Georgetown is a large school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 132 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Georgetown has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Georgetown University is $3,077 for Middle Atlantic Region Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Area Studies at Georgetown University
Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #2 spot on the list. Columbia is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 121 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $9,873 for Middle Atlantic Region Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Full Columbia University in the City of New York Area Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cornell University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.
Cornell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $5,244 for Middle Atlantic Region Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about Area Studies at Cornell
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Barnard College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.
Barnard also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Barnard College is $20,177 for middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Barnard College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Colgate University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Colgate is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hamilton, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Colgate also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $10,762 for Middle Atlantic Region Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Colgate.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Area Studies at Colgate University
University of Maryland - College Park landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 36 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMCP, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $6,067 for middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at UMCP
Brooklyn College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
Brooklyn College also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $1,547 for middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Brooklyn College Area Studies Report
The City College of New York did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
CCNY also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $1,254 for Middle Atlantic Region Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The City College of New York.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
Full The City College of New York Area Studies Report
George Washington University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 41 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
GWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend George Washington University is $17,673 for Middle Atlantic Region Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.
Read more about Area Studies at George Washington University
University of Delaware did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Newark, Delaware is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
UD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $13,726 for Middle Atlantic Region Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Delaware.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UD Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #11, University at Albany did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Albany, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.
UAlbany not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University at Albany is $12,489 for Middle Atlantic Region Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.
Read more about Area Studies at UAlbany
University of Maryland - Baltimore County ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 16 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UMBC also took the #15 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $8,565 for middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMBC.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of Maryland - Baltimore County
Rutgers University - New Brunswick ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rutgers New Brunswick is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rutgers New Brunswick, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rutgers New Brunswick is $14,935 for Middle Atlantic Region Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Rutgers University - New Brunswick
Rutgers University - Newark landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Newark, New Jersey, and it awarded 7 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Rutgers Newark also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Rutgers University - Newark is $11,991 for Middle Atlantic Region Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Rutgers Newark Area Studies Report
Syracuse University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Syracuse is a private not-for-profit institution located in Syracuse, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Syracuse has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $17,250 for middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Syracuse.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Full Syracuse Area Studies Report
Fordham University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fordham University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bronx, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 59 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Fordham U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Fordham University is $26,202 for Middle Atlantic Region Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Fordham U Area Studies Report
New York University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. NYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 118 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, NYU has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $23,582 for middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend New York University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Area Studies at New York University
Millersville University of Pennsylvania came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Millersville, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 11 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Millersville also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $17,224 for middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Millersville.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Millersville
La Salle University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 6 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, La Salle has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for La Salle University is $24,098 for middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.
Read more about Area Studies at La Salle University
Houghton College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Houghton is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Houghton, New York. It awarded 12 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Houghton also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $26,519 for Middle Atlantic Region Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Houghton.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.
Read more about Area Studies at Houghton
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