2023 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Rocky Mountains Region
4
Ranked Colleges
193
Degrees Awarded
$11,500
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 6,966 people earned their degree in area studies, making the major the 115th most popular in the United States. 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 Rocky Mountains region, there were 193 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,111 and $14,001 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 4 colleges that offered a degree in area studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality area studies programs that also have a lower cost than 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. 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 Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 4 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Rocky Mountains Region
Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Provo, Utah, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 69 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region area studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, BYU has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Provo is $10,333 for Rocky Mountains Region Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Brigham Young University - Provo Area Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Utah. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Salt Lake City, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U of U, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U of U is $11,823 for rocky mountains region area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 89%.
Read full report on Area Studies at U of U
Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Utah State University landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Logan, Utah, and it awarded 34 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
USU also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for USU is $9,821 for rocky mountains region area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Read more about Area Studies at Utah State University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Colorado Boulder. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Colorado Boulder is a large public school situated in Boulder, Colorado. It awarded 17 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CU - Boulder, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $13,901 for rocky mountains region area studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CU - Boulder.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Area Studies at CU - Boulder
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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
- *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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