2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 Plains States region, there were 335 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,400 and $23,969 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 274 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 11 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.
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.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid.
Top 11 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 76 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Mizzou also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $16,001 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students with aid per year to attend University of Missouri - Columbia.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington University in St Louis. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Washington University in St Louis 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.
WUSTL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend WUSTL is $26,869 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%. 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 more about Area Studies at Washington University in St Louis
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Iowa State is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 14 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Iowa State also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $15,496 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students with aid per year to attend Iowa State.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #4 spot on the list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.
Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $19,145 for plains states region bachelor’s degree area studies students with aid per year to attend Iowa.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 5 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $17,740 for plains states region bachelor’s degree area studies students with aid per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.
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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UMN Duluth also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $17,067 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Mankato, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.
Minnesota State Mankato also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato is $16,221 for plains states region bachelor’s degree area studies students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Minnesota State University - Mankato Area Studies Report
University of Kansas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Lawrence, Kansas, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
KU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $18,918 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students with aid per year to attend University of Kansas.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
St Olaf College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 25 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.
St. Olaf also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend St. Olaf is $23,543 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students with aid.
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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Saint Louis University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
SLU also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend SLU is $28,188 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students with aid.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Carleton College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Carleton College is a small school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 21 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Carleton, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $31,133 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students with aid per year to attend Carleton.
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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Southeast Region (With Aid)
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Rocky Mountains Region (With Aid)
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Middle Atlantic Region (With Aid)
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Southwest Region (With Aid)
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the New England Region (With Aid)
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
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African Studies
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for African Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Asian Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for European Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Near & Middle Eastern Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Scandinavian Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for American U.S. Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for East Asian Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Latin American Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Russian Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Chinese Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Latin American & Caribbean Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
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Best Area Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Area Studies students in the Plains States Region
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Plains States Region
Area Studies students in the Plains States Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Area Studies Schools
Area Studies students in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
Area Studies students with family income less than $30k in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region
Area Studies students with family income $48-$75k in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income Over $110k) in the Plains States Region
Area Studies students with family income exceeding $110k in the Plains States Region
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Area Studies Graduates in the Plains States Region
Area Studies students in the Plains States Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Plains States Region
Area Studies students in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
Area Studies students getting aid in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region
Area Studies students with family income $30-$48k in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region
Area Studies students with family income $75-$110k in the Plains States Region
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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Karl Udo Gerth.
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