2022 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $48-$75k) in Massachusetts

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 in Massachusetts 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.

Across Massachusetts, there were 469 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,600 and $18,123 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 26 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $73,213 and $99,210 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 3 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the area studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools

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 in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

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

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 3 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $48-$75k) in Massachusetts

#1

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

#1 in overall quality

$50,654 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$59,417 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

Harvard also took the #1 spot in our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard are $50,654, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Area Studies at Harvard

#2

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

#3 in overall quality

$57,666 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Boston University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k. Boston U is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Boston U also took the #3 spot in our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Boston University are $57,666.

Full Boston U Area Studies Report

#3

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts

#2 in overall quality

$52,060 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Doctorate in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brandeis University landed the #3 spot on the list. Brandeis University is a medium-sized school located in Waltham, Massachusetts that handed out 4 doctorate’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Brandeis also made our “Best Area Studies Doctor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #2. Average graduate tuition and fees at Brandeis University are $52,060, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Brandeis University Area Studies Report

• Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the New England Region
• Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $48-$75k)

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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