2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in the Southeast Region” 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.
Across the Southeast region, there were 1,003 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,229 and $21,228 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 797 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region” ranking looked at 17 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the area studies program at the school. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. 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 in the Southeast Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region.
Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Southeast Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida International University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region. Florida International University is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
FIU also took the #14 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $7,296 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students per year to attend Florida International University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Charlotte landed the #2 spot on the list. Charlotte, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.
UNC Charlotte did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $16,529 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students per year to attend University of North Carolina at 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.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of North Carolina at Charlotte
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Kennesaw State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Kennesaw State University is a large school located in Kennesaw, Georgia that handed out 13 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students list, KSU Georgia has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $17,221 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students per year to attend Kennesaw State University.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region. Florida State is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 18 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Florida State also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $9,789 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students per year to attend Florida State University.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, 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 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 247 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.
UNC Chapel Hill also took the #3 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $12,352 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.
The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 95%.
University of Georgia came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UGA, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $13,649 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students per year to attend University of Georgia.
The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
University of Louisville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #7. Louisville, Kentucky is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students list, UofL has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Louisville is $16,867 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.
The University of Alabama came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. UA is a large public school situated in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It awarded 20 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UA is $22,597 for Southeast Region 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.
University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #9. University of South Carolina - Columbia is located in Columbia, South Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
UofSC also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend UofSC is $20,509 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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%.
Virginia Commonwealth University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Virginia Commonwealth University is a public institution located in Richmond, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students list, VCU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Commonwealth University is $22,021 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
George Mason University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Fairfax, Virginia 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.
In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students list, GMU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend George Mason University is $21,048 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #12, William & Mary did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, this medium-sized public school handed out 38 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $19,800 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 2 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $20,397 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #14, Emory University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Emory is a private not-for-profit institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Emory did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Emory University is $23,734 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students.
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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
University of Richmond came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in University of Richmond, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 33 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at URichmond, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $25,838 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students per year to attend University of Richmond.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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.
With a ranking of #16, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Vanderbilt is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 22 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $19,432 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its 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. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.
Tulane University of Louisiana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #17. New Orleans, Louisiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tulane, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $37,841 for southeast region bachelor’s degree area studies students per year to attend Tulane.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.
Read more about Area Studies at Tulane University of Louisiana
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Best Area Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
Area Studies students in the Southeast Region
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Area Studies students in the Southeast Region
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Area Studies students with family income $48-$75k in the Southeast Region
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Area Studies students with family income exceeding $110k in the Southeast Region
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Area Studies students in the Southeast Region
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Area Studies students with family income $30-$48k in the Southeast Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Southeast Region
Area Studies students with family income $75-$110k in the Southeast Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Southeast Region
Area Studies students in the Southeast 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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