2023 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $30-$48k) in Virginia
4
Ranked Colleges
177
Degrees Awarded
$10,500
Avg Net Price*
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 in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 Virginia, there were 177 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,514 and $21,358 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 4 colleges that offered a degree 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
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Area Studies Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.
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 in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for virginia area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 4 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $30-$48k) in Virginia
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William & Mary. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 63 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
William & Mary also took the #1 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $7,507 for virginia area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, 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%.
Read more about Area Studies at William & Mary
Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Richmond landed the #2 spot on the list. URichmond is a private not-for-profit institution located in University of Richmond, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
URichmond not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend URichmond is $8,606 for virginia area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The impressive undergraduate 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. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Area Studies at University of Richmond
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 11 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia also took the #3 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $10,063 for Virginia Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Virginia Area Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Commonwealth University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Richmond, Virginia, this large public school awarded 60 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
VCU also took the #4 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Commonwealth University is $15,891 for Virginia Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 Virginia Commonwealth University
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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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