2026 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in Missouri

[Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in Missouri
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
University Of Missouri Columbia tops our 2026 list of the best value area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools in Missouri. University Of Missouri Columbia is a very large public school located in the city of Columbia. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,837, while out-of-state students pay about $36,056. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates carry a median of $23,988 in student loans. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from University Of Missouri Columbia generally make around $39,269. Set against $23,988 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Washington University In St Louis one of the best values for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies. Washington University In St Louis is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of St. Louis. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $65,790. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates carry a median of $17,553 in student loans. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates of Washington University In St Louis earn a median of $29,261 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $17,553 median debt. Washington University In St Louis admits about 12% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.