2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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 Massachusetts, there were 469 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,600 and $18,123 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 13 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for massachusetts area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 13 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k) in Massachusetts
Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #1 spot on the list. Harvard is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 91 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $2,973 for Massachusetts Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Harvard University.
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 impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Williams College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k. This small school is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and it awarded 21 ’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Williams did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Williams College is $2,498 for massachusetts 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Amherst College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.
Amherst also took the #2 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Amherst is $6,079 for massachusetts area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wellesley College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k. Wellesley is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Wellesley also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Wellesley College is $8,785 for massachusetts area studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Tufts University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k. Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Medford, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Tufts did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Tufts University is $5,267 for Massachusetts Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Smith College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Smith College is located in Northampton, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 40 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Smith not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $6,075 for Massachusetts Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Smith.
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. 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%.
Brandeis University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brandeis University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waltham, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 79 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Brandeis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Brandeis is $13,567 for Massachusetts Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 90%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Boston University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Boston U is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 29 ’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts area studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Boston U has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Boston University is $12,903 for Massachusetts Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.
With a ranking of #9, University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Massachusetts Amherst is a large public school situated in Amherst, Massachusetts. It awarded 14 ’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UMass Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $13,137 for massachusetts area studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMass Amherst.
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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Mount Holyoke College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Mt. Holyoke is located in South Hadley, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mt. Holyoke, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $12,063 for massachusetts area studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Mt. Holyoke.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #11, University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Massachusetts - Boston is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
UMass Boston not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts - Boston is $13,859 for Massachusetts Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full University of Massachusetts - Boston Area Studies Report
Wheaton College Massachusetts ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wheaton College Massachusetts is located in Norton, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Wheaton College Massachusetts did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Massachusetts is $20,511 for Massachusetts Area Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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 full report on Area Studies at Wheaton College Massachusetts
Simmons University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Simmons University is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Simmons also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $22,999 for massachusetts area studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Simmons.
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 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
- Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the New England Region
- Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k)
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Karl Udo Gerth.
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