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2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k

32 Ranked Colleges
187 Degrees Awarded
$35,900 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Area Studies is the 106th most popular major in the country with 6,820 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 187 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,680 and $116,043 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 32 colleges that offered 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. 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 Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k” 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $48-$75k)

#1

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #1 spot on the list. Harvard University is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 18 doctorate’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard are $50,654, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Area Studies at Harvard University

#2

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k list. Yale University is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 doctorate’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Yale also took the #2 spot in our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Yale University are $44,500.

Full Yale University Area Studies Report

#3

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s area studies degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

Stanford also took the #4 spot in our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Area Studies at Stanford University

#4

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cornell University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k. Cornell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell also made our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell are $30,042.

Read more about Area Studies at Cornell

#5

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brown University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k list. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s area studies degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brown, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Brown are $60,363.

Read full report on Area Studies at Brown

#6

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, Purdue has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Purdue Area Studies Report

#12 in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Washington - Seattle Campus are $30,294.

Full UW Seattle Area Studies Report

#8

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#18 in overall quality

William & Mary ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k list. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia. It awarded 5 doctorate’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

William & Mary also made our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #18. Average graduate tuition and fees at William & Mary are $34,800, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full William & Mary Area Studies Report

#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison also took the #11 spot in our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#10

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#13 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548.

Read more about Area Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#11

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#9 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s area studies degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Area Studies at University of California - Berkeley

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 doctorate’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, UIUC has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Area Studies at UIUC

#13

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. University of Maryland - College Park is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 doctorate’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMCP, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UMCP are $30,885.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Area Studies Report

#14

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at IU Bloomington are $33,338.

Read full report on Area Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington

#15

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#23 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 1 doctorate’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #23 spot in our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248.

Read more about Area Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

#16

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#25 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #25 spot in our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UMN Twin Cities are $28,845, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Area Studies Report

#15 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k list. The University of Texas at Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UT Austin are $22,886, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Area Studies at The University of Texas at Austin

#18

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
#14 in overall quality

Boston University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Boston U is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 4 doctorate’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston U also made our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #14. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Boston U are $57,666.

Read more about Area Studies at Boston University

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UIC are $27,036, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Area Studies at UIC

#20

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 2 doctorate’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Arizona are $33,399.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of Arizona

#21

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#8 in overall quality

University of Southern California came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Southern California are $48,715, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Area Studies at USC

#22

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school awarded 4 degrees to qualified doctorate’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

Iowa also made our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #22. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Iowa are $27,613, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Area Studies at University of Iowa

#23

George Washington University

Washington, District of Columbia
#16 in overall quality

George Washington University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. George Washington University is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 doctorate’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

GWU also made our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #16. Average graduate tuition and fees at George Washington University are $31,824, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full GWU Area Studies Report

#24

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school awarded 2 degrees to qualified doctorate’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at KU are $25,007, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Area Studies at KU

#25

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

Washington State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Pullman, Washington, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Washington State University are $27,561.

Read full report on Area Studies at Washington State 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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