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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Southeast Region

17 Ranked Colleges
797 Degrees Awarded
$31,229 Avg Salary
Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

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.

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 $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 17 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k

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 $48-$75k.

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Southeast Region

#1

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $8,086 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree 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 96%. 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. 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%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Vanderbilt University

#2

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William & Mary. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, this medium-sized public school awarded 38 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k 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 $11,721 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend William & Mary.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full William & Mary Area Studies Report

#3

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 247 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #3 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $11,060 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Area Studies Report

#4

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Emory University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 46 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

Emory also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Emory is $19,672 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree 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%. 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 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Emory University Area Studies Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida International University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, FIU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend FIU is $10,298 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Area Studies at Florida International University

#6

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia

University of Richmond came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in University of Richmond, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 33 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students 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 estimated yearly cost for University of Richmond is $12,923 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full URichmond Area Studies Report

#7

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $14,671 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree 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 97%. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 University of Virginia - Main Campus

#8

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. Florida State University is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Florida State also took the #15 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $10,583 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, 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 95%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Florida State

#9

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#10 in overall quality

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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. UGA is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s 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. It costs about $14,748 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Georgia.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Read full report on Area Studies at UGA

#10

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, 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 $48-$75k list. UNC Charlotte is a large public school situated in Charlotte, North Carolina. It awarded 6 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Charlotte also took the #13 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Charlotte is $16,299 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#11

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia

Virginia Commonwealth University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Virginia Commonwealth University is located in Richmond, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 57 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

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 $20,868 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Virginia Commonwealth University Area Studies Report

#12

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. GMU is a large school located in Fairfax, Virginia that handed out 8 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

GMU also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for GMU is $20,468 for southeast region bachelor’s degree 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 86%. 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 full report on Area Studies at GMU

#13

University of Louisville

Louisville, Kentucky
#16 in overall quality

University of Louisville ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UofL is a large public school situated in Louisville, Kentucky. It awarded 13 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UofL, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $16,795 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Louisville.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of Louisville

#14

University of South Carolina - Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina
#9 in overall quality

University of South Carolina - Columbia came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of South Carolina - Columbia is a large public school situated in Columbia, South Carolina. It awarded 37 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UofSC also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $20,783 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UofSC.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area Studies at UofSC

#15

The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The University of Alabama came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UA is a large public school situated in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It awarded 20 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UA, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $23,284 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The University of Alabama.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area Studies at The University of Alabama

#16

Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw, Georgia
#17 in overall quality

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 $48-$75k list. Kennesaw, Georgia 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.

KSU Georgia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $18,036 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Kennesaw State University.

Read full report on Area Studies at Kennesaw State University

#17

Tulane University of Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana

Tulane University of Louisiana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. Tulane University of Louisiana is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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. The estimated yearly cost for Tulane University of Louisiana is $26,168 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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.

Read more about Area Studies at Tulane University of Louisiana

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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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