2023 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k)
95
Ranked Colleges
6,966
Degrees Awarded
$5,100
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Area Studies is the 115th most popular major in the country with 6,966 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, area studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $33,127 and had an average of $20,927 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 95 colleges that offer a degree in area studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent area studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the area studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k)
Out of the 95 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 55 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Duke also took the #6 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Duke University is $371 for area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. 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 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at Duke University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brown University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brown is located in Providence, Rhode Island and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 101 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Brown has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brown University is $1,468 for Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national 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.
Full Brown Area Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. It costs about $1,233 for area studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Area Studies at Stanford University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bowdoin College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Bowdoin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Brunswick, Maine. It awarded 51 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Bowdoin has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bowdoin is $5,626 for area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Area Studies at Bowdoin College
Out of the 95 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgetown University landed the #5 spot on the list. Georgetown University is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 132 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Georgetown has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Georgetown University is $3,077 for Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at Georgetown University
With a ranking of #6, Yale University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 58 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Yale, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $961 for area studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Yale.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Area Studies at Yale
Williams College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Williams College is a small school located in Williamstown, Massachusetts that handed out 24 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Williams has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,451 for Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Williams College.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Area Studies at Williams
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 68 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Area Studies Report
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 221 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $3,753 for area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.
Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Area Studies Report
Tufts University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 28 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Tufts also took the #21 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,122 for area studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Tufts University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Tufts University
Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 121 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Columbia has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $9,873 for Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Area Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York
William & Mary landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, and it awarded 63 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
William & Mary did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. It costs about $5,972 for area studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend William & Mary.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Area Studies at William & Mary
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 157 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,981 for Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Cornell University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cornell University is located in Ithaca, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 49 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Cornell also took the #13 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell is $5,244 for area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%. 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.
Read full report on Area Studies at Cornell University
With a ranking of #15, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 105 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best Area Studies Schools” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $8,450 for area studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at UC Berkeley
Middlebury College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Middlebury College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Middlebury, Vermont. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Middlebury also made our “Best Area Studies Schools” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for Middlebury is $6,294 for area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Area Studies at Middlebury College
University of Chicago landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 45 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,500 for area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of Chicago
Wellesley College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and it awarded 23 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Wellesley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Wellesley is $9,674 for area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Area Studies at Wellesley College
University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 192 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $5,194 for Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 Area Studies at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Amherst College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 12 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Amherst is $4,468 for Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Amherst College Area Studies Report
Smith College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Smith is located in Northampton, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Smith is $9,215 for area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about Area Studies at Smith College
With a ranking of #22, Dartmouth College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Dartmouth College is located in Hanover, New Hampshire and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 49 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Dartmouth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Area Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dartmouth College is $6,034 for area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Area Studies at Dartmouth
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,858 for Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at UIUC
With a ranking of #24, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 103 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also took the #20 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $9,037 for Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #25, Emory University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 51 students in 2020-2021.
Emory also took the #8 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,538 for Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Emory.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.
Full Emory Area Studies Report
