2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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” 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.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,788 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 145 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.
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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More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools
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” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 a Bachelor’s
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Provo. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s. BYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 69 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,322 for bachelor’s degree area studies students per year to attend BYU.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Brigham Young University - Provo
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Maryland Global Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. UMGC is located in Adelphi, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland Global Campus is $14,288 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.
Out of the 145 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $17,067 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.
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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grand Valley State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $17,646 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lehman College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s. Lehman is a fairly large school located in Bronx, New York that handed out 7 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $1,814 for bachelor’s degree area studies students per year to attend Lehman.
With a ranking of #6, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $9,622 for bachelor’s degree area studies students per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #7, SUNY Plattsburgh did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. SUNY Plattsburgh is located in Plattsburgh, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $15,845 for bachelor’s degree area studies students per year to attend SUNY Plattsburgh.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Minnesota State University - Mankato ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public school situated in Mankato, Minnesota. It awarded 2 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato is $16,221 for bachelor’s degree area studies students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at Minnesota State University - Mankato
Iowa State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $15,496 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Mizzou is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 76 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $16,001 for bachelor’s degree area studies students.
The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Florida International University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Florida International University is $7,296 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Towson University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Towson, Maryland, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $18,233 for bachelor’s degree area studies students per year to attend Towson University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.
Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #13. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,986 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.
The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Purdue University - Main Campus
SUNY Old Westbury ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. SUNY Old Westbury is located in Old Westbury, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Old Westbury is $10,557 for bachelor’s degree area studies students.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $16,529 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students per year to attend UNC Charlotte.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
San Francisco State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $15,113 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.
California State University - Fullerton ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for bachelor’s degree area studies students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, 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 89%.
SUNY New Paltz landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. SUNY New Paltz is a medium-sized school located in New Paltz, New York that handed out 11 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for SUNY New Paltz is $17,171 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #19, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. KU is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $18,918 for bachelor’s degree area studies students per year to attend University of Kansas.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
California State University - Northridge ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 17 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,414 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Utah State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #21. Utah State University is a large school located in Logan, Utah that handed out 54 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend USU is $13,634 for bachelor’s degree area studies students.
With a ranking of #22, Kennesaw State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. KSU Georgia is located in Kennesaw, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for KSU Georgia is $17,221 for bachelor’s degree area studies students.
With a ranking of #23, Florida State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Florida State University is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $9,789 for bachelor’s degree area studies students per year to attend Florida State.
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 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%.
Millersville University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #24. Millersville is located in Millersville, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Millersville University of Pennsylvania is $23,350 for bachelor’s degree area studies students.
Read full report on Area Studies at Millersville University of Pennsylvania
California State University - Chico came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $15,017 for bachelor’s degree area studies students.
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%.
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $48-$75k)
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Area Studies students with family income $75-$110k
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Karl Udo Gerth.
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