2022 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $30-$48k) in Massachusetts
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 $30-$48k” ranking looked at 13 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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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 in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for massachusetts area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 13 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $30-$48k) in Massachusetts
Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts 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 large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 91 ’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Harvard also took the #1 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $1,010 for massachusetts area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Amherst College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. Amherst College is located in Amherst, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our massachusetts area studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Amherst has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Amherst is $4,423 for massachusetts 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 impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. Williams is a private not-for-profit institution located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Williams also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $2,223 for Massachusetts Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Williams.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 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 2.3%, 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 Wellesley College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k. This small school is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and it awarded 41 ’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts area studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Wellesley has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wellesley is $4,519 for Massachusetts Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 1.5% 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Tufts University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. Tufts University is located in Medford, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Tufts also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $6,516 for Massachusetts Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Tufts.
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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #6, Smith College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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 also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for Smith is $10,169 for Massachusetts Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. 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.
Boston University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Boston U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Boston U also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Boston University is $13,256 for Massachusetts Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 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 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Mount Holyoke College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Mount Holyoke College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It awarded 16 ’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
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. The estimated yearly cost for Mt. Holyoke is $17,192 for massachusetts area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Brandeis University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Brandeis is located in Waltham, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 79 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brandeis, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brandeis University is $16,074 for Massachusetts 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. 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Massachusetts Amherst came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 14 students 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. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Amherst is $14,474 for massachusetts area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
University of Massachusetts - Boston came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Massachusetts - Boston is a public institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMass Boston, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Boston is $15,055 for Massachusetts Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
Wheaton College Massachusetts landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Norton, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2019-2020.
Wheaton College Massachusetts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $22,008 for Massachusetts Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wheaton College Massachusetts.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
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 $30-$48k ranking. Simmons is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 2 ’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts area studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Simmons has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Simmons is $25,818 for Massachusetts Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
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. 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 $30-$48k) in the New England Region
- Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $30-$48k)
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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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