2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Area Studies is the 106th most popular major in the country with 6,820 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Southeast region, there were 1,003 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,229 and $21,228 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 797 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 17 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.
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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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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 the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Southeast Region
Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #1 spot on the list. Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Vanderbilt also took the #1 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $6,017 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.
The 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. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 247 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.
UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $6,063 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read more about Area Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Emory University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Emory University is a fairly large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 46 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Emory did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Emory University is $9,629 for southeast region 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. 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 student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend William & Mary. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, William & Mary has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $4,963 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend William & Mary.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Richmond. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. URichmond is a private not-for-profit institution located in University of Richmond, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
URichmond not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Richmond is $9,131 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.
Florida International University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Florida International University is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 38 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
FIU also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $6,683 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend FIU.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Area Studies at Florida International University
University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 2 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $11,696 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at University of Virginia - Main Campus
Florida State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Florida State University is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Florida State also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $6,816 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of Georgia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Georgia is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia. It awarded 5 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $10,241 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Tulane University of Louisiana ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in New Orleans, Louisiana, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Tulane also took the #7 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $24,632 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Tulane.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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 ranking of #11, University of North Carolina at Charlotte did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a large public school situated in Charlotte, North Carolina. It awarded 6 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UNC Charlotte did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNC Charlotte is $12,223 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of North Carolina at Charlotte Area Studies Report
University of Louisville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Louisville, Kentucky is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.
UofL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $14,341 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Louisville.
With a ranking of #13, Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Richmond, Virginia, this large public school awarded 57 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.
VCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Commonwealth University is $17,529 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
George Mason University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fairfax, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at GMU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GMU is $17,060 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.
University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Columbia, South Carolina, this large public school handed out 37 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.
UofSC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UofSC is $16,111 for Southeast Region 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 90%. The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 full report on Area Studies at University of South Carolina - Columbia
With a ranking of #16, Kennesaw State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Kennesaw, Georgia, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
KSU Georgia also took the #17 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kennesaw State University is $14,910 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a ranking of #17, The University of Alabama did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UA is a large public school situated in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It awarded 20 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UA also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Alabama is $19,863 for southeast region 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 87%.
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Best Area Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
Area Studies students in the Southeast Region
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Southeast Region
Area Studies students in the Southeast Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Area Studies Schools
Area Studies students in the Southeast Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Area Studies students with family income less than $30k in the Southeast Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Southeast Region
Area Studies students with family income $48-$75k in the Southeast Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income Over $110k) in the Southeast Region
Area Studies students with family income exceeding $110k in the Southeast Region
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Area Studies Graduates in the Southeast Region
Area Studies students in the Southeast Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Southeast Region
Area Studies students in the Southeast Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Southeast Region (With Aid)
Area Studies students getting aid in the Southeast Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Southeast Region
Area Studies students with family income $30-$48k in the Southeast Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Southeast Region
Area Studies students with family income $75-$110k in the Southeast Region
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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