2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 6,820 people earned their degree in area studies, making the major the 106th most popular in the United States. 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.

Across the Southwest region, there were 301 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,500 and $25,548 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 193 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 4 colleges that offer a degree in area studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality area studies programs that also have a lower cost than 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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 4 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Arizona State University - Tempe

Tempe, Arizona

#2 in overall quality

$7,044 Average Net Price

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #1 spot on the list. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, ASU - Tempe has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend ASU - Tempe is $7,044 for southwest region 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%.

Full ASU - Tempe Area Studies Report

#2

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, Texas

#1 in overall quality

$12,203 Average Net Price

$30,771 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #2 spot on the list. UT Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 63 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also took the #1 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $12,203 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at The University of Texas at Austin

#3

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

#3 in overall quality

$10,562 Average Net Price

$31,495 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Arizona. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Arizona is a public institution located in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $10,562 for Southwest Region 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 85%.

Full University of Arizona Area Studies Report

#4

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico

#4 in overall quality

$13,242 Average Net Price

$23,803 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 17 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNM has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $13,242 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNM.

Read full report on Area Studies at UNM

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

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.

Credits

• Credit for the banner image above goes to Karl Udo Gerth.

Featured Political and Social Sciences Schools

Request Info

Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More >