2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Rocky Mountains Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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 the Rocky Mountains region, there were 231 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,300 and $16,005 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 18 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $53,560 and $37,817 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 3 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools

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 the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to 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 the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for rocky mountains region master’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 3 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Rocky Mountains Region

#1

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

#1 in overall quality

$24,695 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Utah landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Utah is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 masters’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

U of U also made our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #1. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Utah are $24,695.

Read full report on Area Studies at U of U

#2

Utah State University

Logan, Utah

#2 in overall quality

$22,598 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Utah State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. USU is a public institution located in Logan, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

USU also made our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #2. Average graduate tuition and fees at Utah State University are $22,598, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Area Studies at USU

#3

University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, Colorado

$32,980 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Colorado Boulder landed the #3 spot on the list. CU - Boulder is a large school located in Boulder, Colorado that handed out 3 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CU - Boulder, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at CU - Boulder are $32,980, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full CU - Boulder Area Studies Report

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $30-$48k)

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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