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

17 Ranked Colleges
797 Degrees Awarded
$21,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 6,820 people earned their degree in area studies, making the major the 106th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, area studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,734 and had an average of $23,024 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 1,003 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,229 and $21,228 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 797 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 17 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools

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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

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

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

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Southeast Region

#1

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Vanderbilt is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 22 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $14,890 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Vanderbilt.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Area Studies at Vanderbilt

#2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 247 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $18,354 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Area Studies Report

#3

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend William & Mary. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k. William & Mary is a public institution located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, William & Mary has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $20,416 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend William & Mary.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full William & Mary Area Studies Report

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida International University landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

FIU also took the #14 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $13,821 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Full Florida International University Area Studies Report

#5

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Emory University landed the #5 spot on the list. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 46 students in 2019-2020.

Emory also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Emory University is $24,657 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 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%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Emory University

#6

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #6, Florida State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Florida State is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 18 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $15,074 for Southeast Region 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 95%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Florida State University

#7

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UGA also took the #10 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $17,105 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UGA.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Georgia Area Studies Report

#8

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia

With a ranking of #8, University of Richmond did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. URichmond is located in University of Richmond, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, URichmond has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Richmond is $24,206 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Area Studies at URichmond

#9

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $21,646 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Virginia - Main Campus Area Studies Report

#10

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina
#13 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Charlotte did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Charlotte did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNC Charlotte is $19,973 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of North Carolina at Charlotte

#11

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. George Mason University is located in Fairfax, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, GMU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend George Mason University is $23,266 for southeast region 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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at George Mason University

#12

University of South Carolina - Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina
#9 in overall quality

University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #12. UofSC is a public institution located in Columbia, South Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UofSC also took the #9 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UofSC is $22,382 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, 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 90%.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of South Carolina - Columbia

#13

University of Louisville

Louisville, Kentucky
#16 in overall quality

University of Louisville came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UofL is located in Louisville, Kentucky and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

UofL also took the #16 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UofL is $20,569 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Area Studies at University of Louisville

#14

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia

With a ranking of #14, Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. VCU is a public institution located in Richmond, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at VCU, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $24,684 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend VCU.

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

Read more about Area Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University

#15

The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The University of Alabama did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #15. UA is a large school located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama that handed out 20 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UA also took the #8 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UA is $24,108 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Read more about Area Studies at The University of Alabama

#16

Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw, Georgia
#17 in overall quality

Kennesaw State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Kennesaw State University is a public institution located in Kennesaw, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

KSU Georgia also took the #17 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $19,570 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Kennesaw State University.

Read more about Area Studies at Kennesaw State University

#17

Tulane University of Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana

Tulane University of Louisiana landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Tulane University of Louisiana is a fairly large school located in New Orleans, Louisiana that handed out 18 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Tulane also took the #7 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Tulane University of Louisiana is $34,240 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Full Tulane University of Louisiana 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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