2023 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $48-$75k)
95
Ranked Colleges
6,966
Degrees Awarded
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that 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.
This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 95 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $48-$75k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford also made our “Best Area Studies Schools” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $7,081 for Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stanford.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%.
Full Stanford Area Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. This fairly large school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 55 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duke, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Duke University is $7,160 for area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at Duke University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 58 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our area studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, Yale has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Yale is $2,815 for area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Yale University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Columbia is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 121 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our area studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, Columbia has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $8,106 for Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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%. The impressive undergraduate 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 Columbia
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dartmouth College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Dartmouth College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hanover, New Hampshire. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 49 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Dartmouth also took the #4 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,172 for area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Dartmouth College.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Dartmouth College
Brown University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 101 students in 2020-2021.
Brown also made our “Best Area Studies Schools” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $10,219 for area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Brown University.
The impressive undergraduate 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low undergrad 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%.
Full Brown University Area Studies Report
Williams College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Williams is a private not-for-profit institution located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Williams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Williams is $5,576 for area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.
Read more about Area Studies at Williams
Bowdoin College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Brunswick, Maine, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 51 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
Bowdoin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Bowdoin College is $14,896 for area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.
Full Bowdoin Area Studies Report
University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 192 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
UW Seattle also made our “Best Area Studies Schools” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $8,393 for area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UW Seattle Area Studies Report
Amherst College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Amherst College is a small school located in Amherst, Massachusetts that handed out 12 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,793 for Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Amherst.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate 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.
Read more about Area Studies at Amherst
With a ranking of #11, Georgetown University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Georgetown is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 132 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Georgetown, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,505 for area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Georgetown University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Area Studies at Georgetown University
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 68 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $10,481 for Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Area Studies at U-M
With a ranking of #13, Cornell University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cornell University is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 49 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $9,785 for area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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.
Full Cornell University Area Studies Report
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 221 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill also took the #17 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,619 for area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of California - Berkeley ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 105 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $13,423 for Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Area Studies at UC Berkeley
University of Chicago landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $8,375 for Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Area Studies at UChicago
With a ranking of #17, Wellesley College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and it awarded 23 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Wellesley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. It costs about $10,792 for Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Wellesley.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 Wellesley College
With a ranking of #18, William & Mary did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia. It awarded 63 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
William & Mary also made our “Best Area Studies Schools” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $10,995 for area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend William & Mary.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full William & Mary Area Studies Report
University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 103 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also took the #20 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,644 for Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Area Studies at University of California - Los Angeles
Tufts University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Tufts University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Medford, Massachusetts. It awarded 28 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tufts, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $19,827 for area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Tufts.
The undergraduate 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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
Barnard College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. Barnard is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 36 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Barnard, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Barnard is $19,810 for Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 more about Area Studies at Barnard College
With a ranking of #22, Middlebury College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Middlebury is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Middlebury, Vermont. It awarded 27 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Middlebury did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Middlebury is $13,580 for area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Middlebury College Area Studies Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 157 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $10,364 for area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.
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 low undergrad 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 University of Wisconsin - Madison
University of Richmond landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. URichmond is a small school located in University of Richmond, Virginia that handed out 19 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $16,063 for area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend URichmond.
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 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. 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 University of Richmond
Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. Provo, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 69 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $12,676 for area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full Brigham Young University - Provo Area Studies Report
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