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2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

145 Ranked Colleges
4,788 Degrees Awarded
$5,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Area Studies is the 106th most popular major in the country with 6,820 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, area studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,734 and had an average of $23,024 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,788 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 145 colleges that offered 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the area studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 145 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $-1,387 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

The low 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Stanford Area Studies Report

#2

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Washington University in St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

WUSTL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $5,273 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WUSTL.

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 impressive 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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at WUSTL

#3

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brown University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brown is located in Providence, Rhode Island and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Brown has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brown University is $201 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Brown

#4

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Yale is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Yale also took the #12 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Yale University is $2,125 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 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

#5

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,866 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Northwestern University

#6

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Williams is a private not-for-profit institution located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Williams has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Williams is $2,498 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Area Studies at Williams

#7

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Georgetown University is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Georgetown has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgetown University is $5,248 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Area Studies at Georgetown University

#8

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#16 in overall quality

Harvard University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $2,973 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Harvard University.

The impressive 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 low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 full report on Area Studies at Harvard University

#9

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Vanderbilt has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $3,156 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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 more about Area Studies at Vanderbilt

#10

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 14 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UChicago has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,712 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Area Studies at UChicago

#11

Amherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #11, Amherst College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Amherst College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Amherst, Massachusetts. It awarded 28 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Amherst College is $6,079 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Area Studies at Amherst

#12

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

With a ranking of #12, Cornell University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cornell University is located in Ithaca, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 54 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Cornell also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $7,484 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cornell.

The school has an impressive 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 96%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Area Studies at Cornell University

#13

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire

Dartmouth College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 41 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

Dartmouth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dartmouth College is $12,052 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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 full report on Area Studies at Dartmouth College

#14

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, Maine

Bowdoin College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Brunswick, Maine, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 58 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

Bowdoin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Bowdoin College is $5,626 for bachelor’s degree 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 86%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Bowdoin Area Studies Report

#15

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 55 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $3,166 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Area Studies Report

#16

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 247 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UNC Chapel Hill is in the top on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. It costs about $4,026 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

#17

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lehman is a fairly large public school situated in Bronx, New York. It awarded 7 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $234 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lehman.

Full Lehman Area Studies Report

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 31 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,367 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at UW - Madison

#19

Middlebury College

Middlebury, Vermont

Middlebury College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Middlebury, Vermont, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

Middlebury also claimed a top spot on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,161 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Middlebury.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Middlebury Area Studies Report

With a ranking of #20, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 193 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $7,850 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Area Studies Report

#21

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Williamsburg, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, William & Mary is in the top on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $4,711 for bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full William & Mary Area Studies Report

#22

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

University of California - Berkeley came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 103 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $8,392 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Area Studies at UC Berkeley

#23

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $8,054 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Area Studies Report

Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 62 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Columbia has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,916 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Columbia.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low 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 full report on Area Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York

#25

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Notre Dame, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Notre Dame is $12,498 for Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Notre Dame Area Studies Report

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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