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2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k

23 Ranked Colleges
881 Degrees Awarded
$11,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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 New England region, there were 1,061 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,773 and $17,347 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 881 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,041 and $24,492 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 23 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the area studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the New England Region

#1

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #1 spot on the list. Harvard is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $1,010 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Harvard

#2

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brown University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Brown University 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.

Brown also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $6,684 for new england region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Brown.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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 more about Area Studies at Brown

#3

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #3 spot on the list. New Haven, Connecticut 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 46 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Yale has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Yale is $1,647 for new england region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 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%.

Full Yale University Area Studies Report

#4

Amherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Amherst College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. It costs about $4,423 for new england region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Amherst College.

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%. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Area Studies at Amherst College

#5

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Williams College landed the #5 spot on the list. Williams is a small school located in Williamstown, Massachusetts that handed out 21 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Williams also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Williams is $2,223 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, 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.

Read full report on Area Studies at Williams

#6

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, Maine

Bowdoin College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bowdoin College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Brunswick, Maine. The school has a small population, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Bowdoin has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bowdoin College is $12,603 for new england region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, 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.

Full Bowdoin Area Studies Report

#7

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire

Dartmouth College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Hanover, New Hampshire is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

Dartmouth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth College is $4,830 for new england region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. 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 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%.

Read more about Area Studies at Dartmouth

#8

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts

Wellesley College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wellesley, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

Wellesley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. It costs about $4,519 for new england region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wellesley College.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on Area Studies at Wellesley College

#9

Trinity College

Hartford, Connecticut

Trinity College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Trinity College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hartford, Connecticut. The school has a small population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Trinity Bantams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Trinity Bantams is $9,123 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about Area Studies at Trinity College

#10

Middlebury College

Middlebury, Vermont

Middlebury College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. It costs about $8,616 for new england region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Middlebury College.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Middlebury Area Studies Report

#11

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tufts, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $6,516 for new england region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Tufts University.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Tufts University

#12

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #12, Smith College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northampton, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

Smith did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Smith College is $10,169 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Smith Area Studies Report

#13

Connecticut College

New London, Connecticut

Connecticut College landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Conn College is located in New London, Connecticut and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Conn College, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Connecticut College is $13,877 for new england region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Conn College Area Studies Report

#14

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Boston U is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Boston U has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $13,256 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Boston University.

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 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%. 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 Boston U

#15

Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley, Massachusetts

Mount Holyoke College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in South Hadley, Massachusetts, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Mt. Holyoke also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Mount Holyoke College is $17,192 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. 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 full report on Area Studies at Mount Holyoke College

#16

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts

Brandeis University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Brandeis University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waltham, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 70 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Brandeis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. It costs about $16,074 for new england region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Brandeis.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read more about Area Studies at Brandeis

#17

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #17, University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Amherst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst is $14,474 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Area Studies at UMass Amherst

#18

University of Connecticut

Storrs, Connecticut

University of Connecticut ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCONN is a large school located in Storrs, Connecticut that handed out 12 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UCONN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCONN is $14,157 for new england region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Area Studies at UCONN

#19

University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

UMass Boston also took the #22 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMass Boston is $15,055 for New England Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Area Studies at UMass Boston

#20

Keene State College

Keene, New Hampshire
#19 in overall quality

Keene State College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Keene State College is a small school located in Keene, New Hampshire that handed out 6 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Keene State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. It costs about $14,717 for new england region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Keene State.

Read full report on Area Studies at Keene State College

#21

Wheaton College Massachusetts

Norton, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #21, Wheaton College Massachusetts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wheaton College Massachusetts is a small school located in Norton, Massachusetts that handed out 9 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new england region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Wheaton College Massachusetts has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Massachusetts is $22,008 for new england region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Wheaton College Massachusetts Area Studies Report

#21 in overall quality

University of New Hampshire - Main Campus came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Durham, New Hampshire is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

UNH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of New Hampshire - Main Campus is $18,826 for new england region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Area Studies at UNH

#23

Simmons University

Boston, Massachusetts
#23 in overall quality

Simmons University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the New England Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Simmons is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Simmons also took the #23 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $25,818 for new england region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Simmons.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on Area Studies at Simmons University

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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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