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2023 Best Value Colleges for International Studies (Income $48-$75k)

125 Ranked Colleges
7,368 Degrees Awarded
Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 7,368 people earned their degree in international studies, making the major the 100th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, international studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,198 and had an average of $21,594 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 125 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in international studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality international studies programs that also have a lower cost than 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 international 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 International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for international studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for International Studies (Income $48-$75k)

1
Colby crest
Colby College
Waterville, Maine

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Colby College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Colby College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waterville, Maine. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Colby also took the #13 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,536 for international studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Colby.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Colby International Studies Report

2
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 117 diplomas to qualified ’s international studies students in 2020-2021.

UPenn also took the #1 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UPenn is $12,020 for International Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full University of Pennsylvania International Studies Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 209 students in 2020-2021.

U-M also made our “Best International Studies Schools” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $10,481 for International Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full U-M International Studies Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 135 degrees to qualified ’s international studies students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best International Studies Schools” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $13,423 for international studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on International Studies at UC Berkeley

5

Out of the 125 schools in the Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington University in St Louis landed the #5 spot on the list. WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 64 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

WUSTL also made our “Best International Studies Schools” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Washington University in St Louis is $8,149 for international studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, 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 94%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on International Studies at WUSTL

6
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

American Public University System ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Charles Town, West Virginia, this large private for-profit school awarded 234 degrees to qualified ’s international studies students in 2020-2021.

American Military University also took the #19 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend American Public University System is $13,536 for International Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Full American Public University System International Studies Report

7
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 90 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UF also made our “Best International Studies Schools” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $8,394 for International Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Studies at University of Florida

8

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 42 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our international studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCLA has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $12,644 for International Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on International Studies at University of California - Los Angeles

9

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 585 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best International Studies Schools” list. It costs about $14,310 for International Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about International Studies at University of California - San Diego

10

University of California - Irvine ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 172 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also took the #12 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,275 for international studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Irvine.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Studies at University of California - Irvine

11

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 293 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB also took the #8 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $14,583 for international studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UCSB International Studies Report

12
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 61 students in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame also made our “Best International Studies Schools” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $14,020 for International Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Notre Dame.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Notre Dame International Studies Report

13

With a ranking of #13, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,619 for international studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

14

With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 95 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also took the #16 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $10,364 for international studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about International Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison

15
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia

With a ranking of #15, University of Richmond did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. URichmond is a small school located in University of Richmond, Virginia that handed out 19 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at URichmond, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend URichmond is $16,063 for international studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about International Studies at University of Richmond

16

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 165 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

ASU - Tempe did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best International Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Tempe is $15,561 for International Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe International Studies Report

17
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 8 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our international studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, Carnegie Mellon has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $21,526 for international studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Carnegie Mellon.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Carnegie Mellon University International Studies Report

18

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 54 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,505 for international studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIUC.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.

Read more about International Studies at UIUC

19

Florida International University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 68 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,292 for International Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend FIU.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 91%.

Read more about International Studies at FIU

20

Brigham Young University - Idaho came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Brigham Young University - Idaho is located in Rexburg, Idaho and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 68 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Idaho is $5,422 for international studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Read more about International Studies at BYU - I

21

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. UCF is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UCF is $9,426 for international studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Read full report on International Studies at UCF

22
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

With a ranking of #22, University of Utah did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Salt Lake City, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 147 students in 2020-2021.

U of U also took the #25 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,842 for international studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Utah.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Studies at U of U

23
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Boston College is a fairly large school located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that handed out 86 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boston College, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $17,098 for International Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Studies at Boston College

24
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of North Florida is located in Jacksonville, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $10,194 for international studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of North Florida.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Full University of North Florida International Studies Report

25
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 23 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

USC also made our “Best International Studies Schools” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $22,826 for International Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.

Read more about International Studies at University of Southern California

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