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2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k

144 Ranked Colleges
4,788 Degrees Awarded
$18,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $75-$110k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking.

Area Studies is the 106th most popular major in the country with 6,820 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,788 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 144 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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 the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $75-$110k)

#1

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

Out of the 144 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 46 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

Yale also took the #12 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Yale University is $11,492 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Area Studies at Yale University

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 21 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $10,631 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Area Studies at Stanford

#3

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dartmouth College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k. Dartmouth is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Hanover, New Hampshire. It awarded 41 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Dartmouth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $14,238 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Dartmouth.

The 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. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 Dartmouth

#4

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Williams College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k. Williams is a private not-for-profit institution located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Williams did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $14,653 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Williams College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Williams Area Studies Report

#5

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,890 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Vanderbilt University Area Studies Report

#6

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

With a ranking of #6, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #17 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,784 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The low 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%. The 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Northwestern

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Columbia is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Columbia also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $18,637 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Columbia.

The 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. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Columbia

#8

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Lehman is a public institution located in Bronx, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Lehman College is $8,818 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Area Studies at Lehman

#9

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 24 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $24,392 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Notre Dame.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Read more about Area Studies at Notre Dame

#10

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Cornell University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Cornell is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 54 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell also took the #5 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $23,128 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a 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 Cornell University

#11

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#16 in overall quality

Harvard University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Harvard is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 26 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $15,553 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Harvard University.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Harvard

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 193 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $18,110 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national 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 full report on Area Studies at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#13

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. WUSTL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $25,505 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Washington University in St Louis.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive 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. The low 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%.

Full Washington University in St Louis Area Studies Report

Brigham Young University - Provo came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Brigham Young University - Provo is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 69 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend BYU is $15,362 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The 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 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 BYU

#15

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $17,929 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UChicago.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full University of Chicago Area Studies Report

#16

Amherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #16, Amherst College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Amherst College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Amherst, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Amherst also took the #8 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $24,193 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Amherst.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Area Studies at Amherst

#17

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, Maine

With a ranking of #17, Bowdoin College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Bowdoin is located in Brunswick, Maine and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 58 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Bowdoin also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Bowdoin College is $20,816 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Area Studies at Bowdoin

#18

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 55 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $18,039 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Area Studies Report

#19

Trinity College

Hartford, Connecticut

Trinity College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #19. This small school is located in Hartford, Connecticut, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Trinity Bantams, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $21,772 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Trinity Bantams.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Area Studies at Trinity Bantams

With a ranking of #20, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 68 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,916 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Area Studies Report

#21

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island

With a ranking of #21, Brown University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Brown is a medium-sized school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 78 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Brown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $21,634 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Brown.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The 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 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Area Studies at Brown

#22

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

University of California - Berkeley came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 103 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $21,401 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The 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 96%.

Read more about Area Studies at UC Berkeley

#22

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 247 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also claimed a top spot on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $18,354 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Area Studies Report

#24

Middlebury College

Middlebury, Vermont

Middlebury College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #24. Middlebury, Vermont is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

Middlebury excels when it comes to area studies quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $20,468 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Middlebury College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Middlebury Area Studies Report

#25

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts

Wellesley College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Wellesley is a small school located in Wellesley, Massachusetts that handed out 41 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Wellesley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Wellesley College is $22,275 for bachelor’s degree 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 93%. The 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. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 Wellesley College Area Studies Report

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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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