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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $75-$110k) in Massachusetts

13 Ranked Colleges
364 Degrees Awarded
$23,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Massachusetts, there were 469 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,600 and $18,123 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 364 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,887 and $24,387 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 13 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools

The area studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k”.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

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

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

Top 13 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $75-$110k) in Massachusetts

#1

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Williams College landed the #1 spot on the list. Williamstown, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

Williams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $14,653 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Williams College.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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.

Read full report on Area Studies at Williams College

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k. Harvard University 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 took the #3 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Harvard University is $15,553 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Harvard University Area Studies Report

#3

Amherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Amherst College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k. Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 28 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

Amherst also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Amherst College is $24,193 for Massachusetts 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 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full Amherst College Area Studies Report

#4

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wellesley College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k. Wellesley is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wellesley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $22,275 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Wellesley.

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 student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full Wellesley College Area Studies Report

#5

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Smith College landed the #5 spot on the list. Northampton, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

Smith also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Smith is $22,926 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

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. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Smith College

#6

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts

Brandeis University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 70 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

Brandeis also took the #6 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brandeis University is $29,713 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Area Studies at Brandeis

#7

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Tufts also took the #5 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $27,430 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Tufts University.

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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Tufts University Area Studies Report

#8

Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley, Massachusetts

Mount Holyoke College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. Mt. Holyoke is a small private not-for-profit school situated in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It awarded 16 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, Mt. Holyoke has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $20,586 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Mount Holyoke College.

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. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Mount Holyoke College

#9

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Massachusetts Amherst is a large school located in Amherst, Massachusetts that handed out 6 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Amherst also took the #11 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Amherst is $24,051 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UMass Amherst Area Studies Report

#10

Wheaton College Massachusetts

Norton, Massachusetts

Wheaton College Massachusetts landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This small school is located in Norton, Massachusetts, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Massachusetts did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Massachusetts is $23,339 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Wheaton College Massachusetts

#11

University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Boston came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UMass Boston is a fairly large public school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 14 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, UMass Boston has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Massachusetts - Boston is $22,761 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Area Studies at UMass Boston

#12

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

Boston U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $31,075 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Boston University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Boston University

#13

Simmons University

Boston, Massachusetts
#13 in overall quality

Simmons University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Simmons University is a medium-sized school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 2 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Simmons also took the #13 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $31,331 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Simmons.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, 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 Simmons 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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