2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in New Jersey

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New Jersey” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 New Jersey, there were 97 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,400 and $24,250 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 49 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,288 and $24,807 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New Jersey” ranking analyzed 3 colleges that offered a degree 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 for a Bachelor’s in New Jersey”.

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. 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 New Jersey

The colleges and universities below are the best for new jersey bachelor’s degree area studies students.

Top 3 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in New Jersey

#1

Ramapo College of New Jersey

Mahwah, New Jersey

#1 in overall quality

$21,729 Average Net Price

$38,289 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ramapo College of New Jersey. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New Jersey list. Ramapo College is located in Mahwah, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Ramapo College also took the #1 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New Jersey” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ramapo College of New Jersey is $21,729 for New Jersey Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, 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 85%.

Full Ramapo College Area Studies Report

#2

Rutgers University - New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey

#2 in overall quality

$21,654 Average Net Price

$28,598 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New Jersey that were part of this year’s ranking, Rutgers University - New Brunswick landed the #2 spot on the list. Rutgers New Brunswick is a public institution located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Rutgers New Brunswick also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New Jersey” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Rutgers New Brunswick is $21,654 for New Jersey Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Rutgers University - New Brunswick Area Studies Report

#3

William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, New Jersey

#3 in overall quality

$19,547 Average Net Price

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend William Paterson University of New Jersey. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New Jersey. Located in Wayne, New Jersey, this medium-sized public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

William Paterson University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New Jersey” list. It costs about $19,547 for New Jersey Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students per year to attend William Paterson University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read full report on Area Studies at William Paterson University

• Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Middle Atlantic Region
• Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies

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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