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2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k

20 Ranked Colleges
1,538 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 in the Middle Atlantic Region 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.

Across the Middle Atlantic region, there were 1,538 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,912 and $23,607 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to 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 the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 20 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Middle Atlantic Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Columbia is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 121 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia also took the #2 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $8,106 for middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.

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 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 full report on Area Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York

2
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Georgetown University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 132 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

Georgetown also took the #1 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $12,505 for Middle Atlantic Region Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Georgetown.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Area Studies at Georgetown University

3
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cornell University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Ithaca, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 49 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

Cornell also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $9,785 for middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cornell University.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate 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 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 full report on Area Studies at Cornell University

4
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Barnard College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 36 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Barnard, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Barnard is $19,810 for Middle Atlantic Region Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, 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 93%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Barnard Area Studies Report

5
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Colgate University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Colgate is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Hamilton, New York. It awarded 22 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colgate, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Colgate University is $17,557 for middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 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 more about Area Studies at Colgate University

6
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UD is a public institution located in Newark, Delaware. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UD is $17,260 for middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, 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 90%.

Read full report on Area Studies at UD

7
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 3 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

Brooklyn College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $7,219 for Middle Atlantic Region Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 Brooklyn College Area Studies Report

8

With a ranking of #8, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school awarded 36 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

UMCP also took the #9 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - College Park is $17,360 for Middle Atlantic Region Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 UMCP Area Studies Report

9

The City College of New York landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CCNY is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CCNY did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The City College of New York is $7,521 for middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at CCNY

10
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

George Washington University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. George Washington University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, GWU has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend George Washington University is $21,174 for middle atlantic region 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area Studies at GWU

11
UAlbany crest
University at Albany
Albany, New York

University at Albany did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. This fairly large school is located in Albany, New York, and it awarded 26 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UAlbany not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UAlbany is $19,727 for middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Read more about Area Studies at UAlbany

12
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

With a ranking of #12, Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. New Brunswick, New Jersey is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

Rutgers New Brunswick also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Rutgers New Brunswick is $20,927 for middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Area Studies at Rutgers New Brunswick

13
Rutgers Newark crest
Rutgers University - Newark
Newark, New Jersey

Rutgers University - Newark landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Rutgers Newark is a public institution located in Newark, New Jersey. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, Rutgers Newark has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $18,648 for middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Rutgers University - Newark.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Area Studies at Rutgers Newark

14

University of Maryland - Baltimore County ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UMBC is a fairly large public school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 16 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UMBC also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - Baltimore County is $20,879 for Middle Atlantic Region 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 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 UMBC Area Studies Report

15
La Salle crest
La Salle University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

La Salle University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 6 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

La Salle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend La Salle University is $20,975 for Middle Atlantic Region Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at La Salle University

16
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

Syracuse University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Syracuse, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

Syracuse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. It costs about $23,533 for middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Syracuse University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Syracuse Area Studies Report

17
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

With a ranking of #17, New York University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. New York University is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 118 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, NYU has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend New York University is $31,355 for Middle Atlantic Region Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 NYU

18
Millersville crest
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Millersville, Pennsylvania

Millersville University of Pennsylvania came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Millersville is a public institution located in Millersville, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Millersville, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Millersville is $22,731 for Middle Atlantic Region Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Millersville

19
Fordham U crest
Fordham University
Bronx, New York

Fordham University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Fordham U is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Bronx, New York. It awarded 59 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Fordham U also took the #8 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $31,221 for middle atlantic region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Fordham U.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 Fordham U

20
Houghton crest
Houghton College
Houghton, New York

Houghton College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Houghton is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Houghton, New York. It awarded 12 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Houghton also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Houghton is $20,998 for Middle Atlantic Region 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 88%. 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%.

Full Houghton Area Studies Report

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