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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $30-$48k)

144 Ranked Colleges
4,788 Degrees Awarded
$6,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,788 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 144 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. 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 For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $30-$48k)

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 144 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 21 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $1,145 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stanford.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Stanford

#2

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

Out of the 144 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington University in St Louis landed the #2 spot on the list. WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 29 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $6,248 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Washington University in St Louis

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 13 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $3,995 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 Northwestern

#4

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#16 in overall quality

Out of the 144 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #4 spot on the list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

Harvard also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $1,010 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Harvard Area Studies Report

#5

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brown University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. This medium-sized school is located in Providence, Rhode Island, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brown, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brown is $6,684 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Full Brown Area Studies Report

#6

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Yale University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Haven, Connecticut. It awarded 46 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Yale, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,647 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Yale.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 Yale University

#7

Amherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts

Amherst College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

Amherst also took the #8 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Amherst College is $4,423 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Area Studies at Amherst College

Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia also took the #7 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $4,287 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Area Studies Report

#9

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Cornell University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cornell University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 54 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Cornell is $7,518 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive 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. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Cornell Area Studies Report

#10

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $6,017 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Area Studies at Vanderbilt University

#11

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,800 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 UChicago

#12

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #12, Williams College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Williams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Williams is $2,223 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 90%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Williams College

#13

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York

Colgate University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Hamilton, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colgate, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,958 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Colgate.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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. The impressive 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.

Full Colgate University Area Studies Report

#14

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, Maine

Bowdoin College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Brunswick, Maine, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 58 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Bowdoin has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bowdoin is $12,603 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Bowdoin College Area Studies Report

#15

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire

Dartmouth College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Hanover, New Hampshire is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

Dartmouth also took the #3 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dartmouth College is $4,830 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Dartmouth College Area Studies Report

#16

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts

Wellesley College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Wellesley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Wellesley is $4,519 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 Wellesley College

#17

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 24 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Notre Dame is $15,609 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Area Studies at University of Notre Dame

#18

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. UNC Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 247 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also claimed a top spot on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $6,063 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Area Studies Report

#19

Trinity College

Hartford, Connecticut

Trinity College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Hartford, Connecticut is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

Trinity Bantams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Trinity College is $9,123 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Trinity College

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 31 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $6,860 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 University of Wisconsin - Madison

#21

Middlebury College

Middlebury, Vermont

Middlebury College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Middlebury, Vermont, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Middlebury also claimed a top spot on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Middlebury College is $8,616 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Middlebury Area Studies Report

#22

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Georgetown is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Georgetown also took the #9 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgetown is $8,678 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Georgetown Area Studies Report

#23

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Tufts is a fairly large school located in Medford, Massachusetts that handed out 30 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Tufts has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,516 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Tufts.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Area Studies at Tufts University

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 193 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $7,467 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full UW Seattle Area Studies Report

#25

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 55 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend U-M is $5,887 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%.

Read more about Area Studies at U-M

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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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