2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid
95
Ranked Colleges
6,966
Degrees Awarded
$16,000
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Getting Aid” 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.
For this year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 95 colleges that offer 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the area studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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 Those Getting Aid” 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. 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 For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (With Aid)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 221 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Area Studies Schools” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $12,469 for Area Studies students with aid per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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 95%.
Read more about Area Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 192 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle also made our “Best Area Studies Schools” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $12,017 for area studies students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Area Studies Report
Out of the 95 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #3 spot on the list. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
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 University is $12,894 for Area Studies students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Area Studies at Stanford
Out of the 95 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 103 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $15,023 for Area Studies students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UCLA Area Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 105 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $16,032 for area studies students with aid.
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.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of California - Berkeley
Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. BYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 69 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Provo is $13,474 for Area Studies students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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 Brigham Young University - Provo
With a ranking of #7, Bowdoin College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Bowdoin College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Brunswick, Maine. It awarded 51 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Bowdoin also made our “Best Area Studies Schools” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $22,840 for Area Studies students with aid per year to attend Bowdoin.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Area Studies at Bowdoin College
Williams College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Williams is a small school located in Williamstown, Massachusetts that handed out 24 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Williams, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $23,497 for Area Studies students with aid per year to attend Williams College.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Read more about Area Studies at Williams
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 48 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $10,054 for Area Studies students with aid per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full CSULB Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #10, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 107 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $18,350 for area studies students with aid per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.
The school has an impressive undergrad 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full The University of Texas at Austin Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #11, Yale University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 58 students in 2020-2021.
Yale did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Yale is $15,296 for Area Studies students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 Yale University
Wellesley College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wellesley is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Wellesley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wellesley College is $23,908 for area studies students with aid.
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%. 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. 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 Wellesley
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 68 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our area studies students with aid list, U-M has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $14,878 for Area Studies students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 157 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $17,234 for area studies students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at UW - Madison
Amherst College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $21,657 for area studies students with aid per year to attend Amherst College.
The undergraduate 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Amherst Area Studies Report
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for Area Studies students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Area Studies Report
Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Columbia is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 121 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia also made our “Best Area Studies Schools” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $22,823 for Area Studies students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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
California State University - Fullerton ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 59 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,003 for Area Studies students with aid per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.
Full California State University - Fullerton Area Studies Report
University of Florida ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Florida is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 15 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $5,135 for Area Studies students with aid.
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 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%.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of Florida
Dartmouth College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Hanover, New Hampshire, and it awarded 49 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Dartmouth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. It costs about $32,410 for area studies students with aid per year to attend Dartmouth.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at Dartmouth College
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $14,619 for Area Studies students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 IU Bloomington
William & Mary came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, this medium-sized public school awarded 63 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students 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. It costs about $19,593 for area studies students with aid per year to attend William & Mary.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Area Studies at William & Mary
University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. University of California - 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 University of California - Davis is $15,768 for Area Studies students with aid.
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 undergrad 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 University of California - Davis Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #24, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $15,240 for Area Studies students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 undergraduate students.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of California - San Diego
With a ranking of #25, The City College of New York did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Getting Aid list. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $2,805 for Area Studies students with aid per year to attend CCNY.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
Full The City College of New York Area Studies Report
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