Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York

21 Ranked Colleges
521 Degrees Awarded
$23,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in New York

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 for a Bachelor’s in New York” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 York, there were 721 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,650 and $27,600 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 521 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,973 and $22,589 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. 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 York

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York.

Top 21 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in New York

#1

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, New York
#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stony Brook University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York. Located in Stony Brook, New York, this large public school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

SUNY Stony Brook did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. It costs about $15,160 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students per year to attend Stony Brook University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 SUNY Stony Brook

#2

SUNY Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, New York
#12 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, SUNY Plattsburgh landed the #2 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Plattsburgh, New York, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SUNY Plattsburgh not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Plattsburgh is $15,845 for new york bachelor’s degree area studies students.

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%.

Read more about Area Studies at SUNY Plattsburgh

#3

Lehman College

Bronx, New York
#14 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, Lehman College landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Bronx, New York, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lehman, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lehman College is $1,814 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.

Read full report on Area Studies at Lehman

#4

Binghamton University

Vestal, New York
#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Binghamton University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. This fairly large school is located in Vestal, New York, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Binghamton University also took the #11 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Binghamton University is $19,353 for new york bachelor’s degree area studies students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Full Binghamton University Area Studies Report

#5

SUNY Old Westbury

Old Westbury, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend SUNY Old Westbury. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. SUNY Old Westbury is a medium-sized public school situated in Old Westbury, New York. It awarded 16 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SUNY Old Westbury did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Old Westbury is $10,557 for new york bachelor’s degree area studies students.

Full SUNY Old Westbury Area Studies Report

#6

SUNY New Paltz

New Paltz, New York

SUNY New Paltz ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. SUNY New Paltz is a public institution located in New Paltz, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SUNY New Paltz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. It costs about $17,171 for new york bachelor’s degree area studies students per year to attend SUNY New Paltz.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area Studies at SUNY New Paltz

#7

University at Albany

Albany, New York

With a ranking of #7, University at Albany did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Located in Albany, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 24 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UAlbany, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. It costs about $18,577 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students per year to attend University at Albany.

Full UAlbany Area Studies Report

#8

Purchase College

Purchase, New York
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Purchase College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Purchase College is a small public school situated in Purchase, New York. It awarded 2 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new york bachelor’s degree area studies students list, Purchase College has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purchase College is $18,326 for new york bachelor’s degree area studies students.

Read more about Area Studies at Purchase College

#21 in overall quality

John Jay College of Criminal Justice did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking, coming in at #9. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

John Jay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The yearly cost to attend John Jay is $2,532 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.

Full John Jay College of Criminal Justice Area Studies Report

#10

Houghton College

Houghton, New York

Houghton College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking, coming in at #10. Houghton College is a small school located in Houghton, New York that handed out 4 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Houghton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The yearly cost to attend Houghton is $22,233 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.

Read more about Area Studies at Houghton College

#11

Pace University - New York

New York, New York
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Pace University - New York did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Pace University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 1 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Pace University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. It costs about $29,707 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students per year to attend Pace University - New York.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.

Read more about Area Studies at Pace University - New York

#12

Syracuse University

Syracuse, New York
#13 in overall quality

Syracuse University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. Located in Syracuse, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new york bachelor’s degree area studies students list, Syracuse has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Syracuse is $34,482 for new york bachelor’s degree area studies 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Area Studies at Syracuse University

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Columbia University in the City of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Columbia also took the #2 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. It costs about $23,306 for new york bachelor’s degree area studies students per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.

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 2.1% 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Area Studies at Columbia

#14

Skidmore College

Saratoga Springs, New York

With a ranking of #14, Skidmore College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. This small school is located in Saratoga Springs, New York, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new york bachelor’s degree area studies students list, Skidmore has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Skidmore is $27,197 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 Skidmore College

#15

New York University

New York, New York

New York University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

NYU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NYU is $39,772 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at NYU

With a ranking of #16, Hobart and William Smith Colleges did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Hobart and William Smith Colleges is a private not-for-profit institution located in Geneva, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at The Colleges, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Hobart and William Smith Colleges is $32,940 for new york bachelor’s degree area studies students.

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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full The Colleges Area Studies Report

#17

Fordham University

Bronx, New York

Fordham University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. Fordham University is a fairly large school located in Bronx, New York that handed out 48 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fordham U, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fordham University is $36,761 for new york bachelor’s degree area studies students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Full Fordham U Area Studies Report

#18

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Cornell University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.

Cornell also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Cornell is $40,126 for new york bachelor’s degree area studies students.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Area Studies at Cornell

#19

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York

Colgate University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. Colgate University is located in Hamilton, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Colgate did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. It costs about $25,834 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students per year to attend Colgate.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Colgate University

#20

Barnard College

New York, New York

Barnard College landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. Barnard College is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 32 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Barnard also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $28,204 for new york bachelor’s degree area studies students per year to attend Barnard.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 Barnard

#21

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, New York

With a ranking of #21, Vassar College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. This small school is located in Poughkeepsie, New York, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vassar, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vassar is $26,208 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area Studies at Vassar

Switch to a More Focused Major

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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

Featured Political and Social Sciences Schools

Find Schools Near You