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2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

11 Ranked Colleges
983 Degrees Awarded
$18,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast 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. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Area Studies is the 115th most popular major in the country with 6,966 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.

Across the Southeast region, there were 983 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,290 and $20,478 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 11 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region area studies students with aid.

Top 11 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies in the Southeast Region (With Aid)

1

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 in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 221 students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #3 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $12,469 for Southeast Region Area Studies students with aid.

The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area Studies at UNC Chapel Hill

2
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Florida is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 15 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UF also took the #7 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $5,135 for Southeast Region Area Studies students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Area Studies at UF

3
William & Mary crest
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 in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. William & Mary is a medium-sized school located in Williamsburg, Virginia that handed out 63 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

William & Mary did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $19,593 for southeast region area studies students with aid 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 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 full report on Area Studies at William & Mary

4
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #4 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 55 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Duke also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $32,459 for southeast region area studies students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Duke University

5
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Florida State is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Florida State also took the #9 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $9,946 for southeast region area studies students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area Studies at Florida State University

6
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 51 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region area studies students with aid list, Emory has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $22,597 for southeast region area studies students with aid per year to attend Emory University.

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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Area Studies at Emory

7
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $22,006 for Southeast Region 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Area Studies at University of Virginia - Main Campus

8
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia

University of Richmond came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in University of Richmond, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 19 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at URichmond, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for URichmond is $27,050 for southeast region area studies students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, 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 93%. 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.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of Richmond

9

University of North Carolina at Charlotte came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is located in Charlotte, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

UNC Charlotte also took the #11 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Charlotte is $17,634 for southeast region area studies students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Area Studies at UNC Charlotte

10

Virginia Commonwealth University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Virginia Commonwealth University is a large public school situated in Richmond, Virginia. It awarded 60 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

VCU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend VCU is $20,490 for Southeast Region Area Studies students with aid.

The undergrad 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 full report on Area Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University

11
UofL crest
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky

University of Louisville landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Louisville, Kentucky is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

UofL also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $16,828 for Southeast Region Area Studies students with aid per year to attend UofL.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of Louisville

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