2023 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $75-$110k)
95
Ranked Colleges
6,966
Degrees Awarded
$18,900
Avg Net Price*
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 $75-$110k” 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 $75-$110k” 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
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 Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. 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 Those Making $75-$110k
The colleges and universities below are the best for area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $75-$110k)
Out of the 95 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.
Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $13,623 for Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read more about Area Studies at Stanford University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dartmouth College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Dartmouth 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.
In addition to being on our area studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, Dartmouth has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dartmouth is $16,661 for Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Area Studies at Dartmouth College
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 $75-$110k list. Yale is a fairly large school located in New Haven, Connecticut that handed out 58 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our area studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, Yale has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,008 for Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Yale.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 Yale
Out of the 95 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Williams College landed the #4 spot on the list. Williams College is a small school located in Williamstown, Massachusetts that handed out 24 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Williams also made our “Best Area Studies Schools” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Williams College is $14,702 for area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 more about Area Studies at Williams
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bowdoin College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k. Bowdoin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Brunswick, Maine. It awarded 51 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Bowdoin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bowdoin is $22,177 for Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read more about Area Studies at Bowdoin College
Duke University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 55 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Duke also took the #6 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $18,113 for Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, 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. 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.
Full Duke Area Studies Report
Barnard College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Barnard College 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.
Barnard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Barnard College is $27,709 for Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Area Studies at Barnard College
Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. Columbia University in the City of New York 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.
Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. It costs about $16,916 for Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Columbia.
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 95%. 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 full report on Area Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York
With a ranking of #9, Brown University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Brown University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 101 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Brown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Brown is $23,160 for Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. 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 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Brown University Area Studies Report
University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. UW Seattle is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 192 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. It costs about $16,894 for Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.
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%. 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 UW Seattle
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #11. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 221 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. It costs about $19,088 for area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
With a ranking of #12, Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. 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 Brigham Young University - Provo is $15,777 for area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 1.3% 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 more about Area Studies at BYU
With a ranking of #13, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 68 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
U-M also made our “Best Area Studies Schools” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $17,207 for Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 105 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $21,601 for Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
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.
Full University of California - Berkeley Area Studies Report
University of California - Los Angeles came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 103 students in 2020-2021.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. It costs about $20,697 for Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UCLA.
The low undergrad 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%. 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 UCLA
Georgetown University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 132 students in 2020-2021.
Georgetown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Georgetown University is $27,034 for area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 full report on Area Studies at Georgetown
Wellesley College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Wellesley College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wellesley, Massachusetts. It awarded 23 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Wellesley also took the #9 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wellesley College is $22,704 for area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Wellesley College
University of Florida ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UF is $12,874 for Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.
Full University of Florida Area Studies Report
Middlebury College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Middlebury College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Middlebury, Vermont. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Middlebury not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Middlebury College is $20,196 for Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, 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 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Middlebury College Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #20, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 48 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $15,101 for Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Area Studies at California State University - Long Beach
University of California - Davis came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $18,728 for Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at UC Davis
William & Mary ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. William & Mary is a public institution located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 63 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $19,472 for Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
Full William & Mary Area Studies Report
The University of Texas at Austin ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school handed out 107 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $20,425 for area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Area Studies at The University of Texas at Austin
With a ranking of #24, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 45 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $19,895 for Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Area Studies at UChicago
Cornell University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Cornell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 49 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell also took the #13 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cornell University is $21,043 for area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. 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 Cornell
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