2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” 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 Plains States region, there were 335 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,400 and $23,969 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 274 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 11 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 11 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington University in St Louis. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 29 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
WUSTL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Washington University in St Louis is $11,832 for plains states region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #2 spot on the list. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 76 students in 2019-2020.
Mizzou also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $13,145 for plains states region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Mizzou.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.
UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $12,556 for plains states region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Area Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carleton College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northfield, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.
Carleton also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Carleton College is $16,716 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, St Olaf College landed the #5 spot on the list. St. Olaf is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northfield, Minnesota. It awarded 25 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, St. Olaf has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St. Olaf is $17,577 for plains states region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.
UMN Duluth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $12,438 for plains states region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UMN Duluth.
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%.
Iowa State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Iowa State University is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 14 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Iowa State also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $14,161 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Iowa State.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
With a ranking of #8, Saint Louis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, SLU has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $23,734 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Saint Louis University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.
University of Iowa ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school awarded 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.
Iowa also took the #6 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa is $18,272 for plains states region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #10, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Minnesota State University - Mankato is located in Mankato, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Minnesota State Mankato did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State Mankato is $14,451 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Kansas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.
KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Kansas is $17,132 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
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Best Area Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Area Studies students in the Plains States Region
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Plains States Region
Area Studies students in the Plains States Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Area Studies Schools
Area Studies students in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
Area Studies students with family income less than $30k in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region
Area Studies students with family income $48-$75k in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income Over $110k) in the Plains States Region
Area Studies students with family income exceeding $110k in the Plains States Region
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Area Studies Graduates in the Plains States Region
Area Studies students in the Plains States Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Plains States Region
Area Studies students in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
Area Studies students getting aid in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region
Area Studies students with family income $30-$48k in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region
Area Studies students with family income $75-$110k in the Plains States Region
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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