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

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

Across Illinois, there were 139 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,433 and $25,759 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 46 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,267 and $46,814 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 4 colleges that offered a degree in area studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great area studies programs and 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 4 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

#1 in overall quality

$61,548 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$38,289 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s area studies degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Chicago Area Studies Report

#2

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, Illinois

#2 in overall quality

$30,083 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 14 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083.

Full UIUC Area Studies Report

#3

University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

#3 in overall quality

$27,036 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 6 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also made our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIC are $27,036, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Area Studies at UIC

#4

Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago, Illinois

$17,032 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northeastern Illinois University landed the #4 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 1 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #0 on our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northeastern Illinois University are $17,032.

Read more about Area Studies at Northeastern Illinois University

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
• Best Value Master’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.

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