2027 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in Massachusetts
[Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find the best return on investment for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in Massachusetts
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools
Leading the list is Williams College, our #1 best value for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies in Massachusetts. Williams College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Williamstown. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,560. Students borrow a median of $12,615 to complete the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program here. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $38,595. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 8%.
Harvard University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies, landing the #2 spot this year. Harvard University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge. In-state tuition and fees average $61,676. Typical student debt for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates is $16,616. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $95,207. That is a strong return on a $16,616 median debt. The acceptance rate is 4%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Massachusetts Amherst earned it the #3 place for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies. University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a very large public school located in the city of Amherst. Students from in state pay about $17,772 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $40,449. Typical student debt for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates is $25,195. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates of University Of Massachusetts Amherst earn a median of $53,666 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Massachusetts Amherst admits about 60% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies will find it at Amherst College, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Amherst, Amherst College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $70,480. Typical student debt for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates is $18,032. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates of Amherst College earn a median of $48,364 early in their careers. Set against $18,032 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 9% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Massachusetts Boston earned it the #5 place for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies. University Of Massachusetts Boston is a large public school located in the city of Boston. In-state tuition and fees average $15,898, with out-of-state students paying around $38,115. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates carry a median of $26,965 in student loans. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $41,872. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Massachusetts Boston admits about 84% of applicants.
Boston University landed the #6 spot for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies value this year. Located in the city of Boston, Boston University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,102. Students borrow a median of $25,232 to complete the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program here. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $63,598. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Boston University admits about 11% of applicants.
Wellesley College came in at #7 for value in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies this year. Wellesley College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Wellesley. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,176. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates carry a median of $9,525 in student loans. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates of Wellesley College earn a median of $43,302 early in their careers. Set against $9,525 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Wellesley College admits about 14% of applicants.
Simmons College came in at #8 for value in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies this year. Located in the city of Boston, Simmons College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $46,874. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates carry a median of $26,740 in student loans. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from Simmons College generally make around $63,860. That is a strong return on a $26,740 median debt. The acceptance rate is 70%.
Mount Holyoke College placed #9 among the best values for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies. Located in the suburb of South Hadley, Mount Holyoke College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,018. Students borrow a median of $22,041 to complete the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program here. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $35,038. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 36% of applicants are accepted.
Smith College placed #10 among the best values for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies. Smith College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Northampton. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $65,178. Students borrow a median of $19,000 to complete the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program here. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from Smith College generally make around $28,751. That is a strong return on a $19,000 median debt. Smith College admits about 21% of applicants.
Brandeis University came in at #11 for value in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies this year. Set in the city of Waltham, Brandeis University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,080. Typical student debt for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates is $25,831. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates of Brandeis University earn a median of $43,418 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 40% of applicants are accepted.
Tufts University ranked #12 on our 2027 list of the best value area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. Tufts University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Medford. Students from in state pay about $70,704 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $17,074 to complete the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program here. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $44,133. That is a strong return on a $17,074 median debt. Roughly 12% of applicants are accepted.
More Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Rankings
View All Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 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.
