2027 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Illinois
[Area Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/area-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong area studies education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 2 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value area studies schools.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the area studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Area Studies Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign the best value for a degree in area studies in Illinois. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $18,267, with out-of-state students paying around $40,096. Area Studies graduates carry a median of $22,050 in student loans. Early-career area studies graduates make about $24,332. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Chicago earned it the #2 place for area studies. University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $69,324. Students borrow a median of $15,854 to complete the area studies program here. Area Studies graduates of University Of Chicago earn a median of $38,008 early in their careers. Set against $15,854 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Chicago admits about 4% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
