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2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k

13 Ranked Colleges
469 Degrees Awarded
$23,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 in Massachusetts 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.

Across Massachusetts, there were 469 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,600 and $18,123 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 13 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in area studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent area studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the area studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k.

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

#1

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 #1 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k. Williams is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our massachusetts area studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, Williams has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Williams College is $14,653 for massachusetts area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area Studies at Williams College

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #2 spot on the list. Harvard is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 91 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $15,553 for massachusetts area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Harvard University.

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. 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 more about Area Studies at Harvard University

#3

Amherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Amherst College landed the #3 spot on the list. Amherst College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Amherst, Massachusetts. It awarded 28 ’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Amherst also took the #2 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Amherst is $24,193 for massachusetts area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, 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.

Read more about Area Studies at Amherst

#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 in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k. Located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 41 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts area studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, Wellesley has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wellesley is $22,275 for massachusetts area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Full Wellesley College Area Studies Report

#5

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Smith College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. Smith College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northampton, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 40 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Smith did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Smith College is $22,926 for Massachusetts Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, 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.

Read more about Area Studies at Smith College

#6

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #6, Brandeis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. Waltham, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 79 students in 2019-2020.

Brandeis also took the #6 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $29,713 for Massachusetts Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Brandeis.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Brandeis University

#7

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Medford, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 30 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

Tufts also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $27,430 for massachusetts area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Tufts University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Area Studies at Tufts

#8

Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #8, Mount Holyoke College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. Mt. Holyoke is a small school located in South Hadley, Massachusetts that handed out 16 ’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Mt. Holyoke also took the #10 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mt. Holyoke is $20,586 for massachusetts area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. 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.

Read more about 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 in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Massachusetts Amherst is a large school located in Amherst, Massachusetts that handed out 14 ’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts area studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, UMass Amherst has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $24,051 for Massachusetts Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UMass Amherst.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Read more about Area Studies at University of Massachusetts Amherst

#10

Wheaton College Massachusetts

Norton, Massachusetts

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

In addition to being on our massachusetts area studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, Wheaton College Massachusetts has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Massachusetts is $23,339 for massachusetts 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 87%. 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 full report on Area Studies at Wheaton College Massachusetts

#11

University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #11. University of Massachusetts - Boston is a public institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Boston did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts - Boston is $22,761 for massachusetts area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full UMass Boston Area Studies Report

#12

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #12. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

Boston U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Boston University is $31,075 for Massachusetts Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 92%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Boston University

#13

Simmons University

Boston, Massachusetts

Simmons University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. Simmons is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Simmons did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Simmons University is $31,331 for massachusetts area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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.

Read more about Area Studies at Simmons University

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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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