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2027 Best Value Area Studies Schools in North Carolina

[Area Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/area-studies/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

College Factual analyzed 2 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value area studies schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Area Studies Schools in North Carolina

2027 Best Value Area Studies Schools in North Carolina

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in area studies, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Area Studies Schools

1

University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC

$8,994 In-State Tuition & Fees

$13,000 Avg Student Debt

$72,200 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in area studies, no school beat University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill this year. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $8,994, with out-of-state students paying around $41,203. Students borrow a median of $13,000 to complete the area studies program here. Area Studies graduates of University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill earn a median of $31,955 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 15%.

2

Duke University
Durham, NC

$68,758 In-State Tuition & Fees

$13,296 Avg Student Debt

$97,800 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in area studies will find it at Duke University, which ranked #2. Duke University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Durham. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,758. Typical student debt for area studies graduates is $13,296. Soon after graduation, area studies degree recipients from Duke University generally make around $83,388. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.

View All Area Studies Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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.