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

71 Ranked Colleges
1,036 Degrees Awarded
$38,200 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master's For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,036 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 71 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.

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.

More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college 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. 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 Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k

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

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

#1

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

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 Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard are $50,654, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Area Studies at Harvard University

#2

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#8 in overall quality

Out of the 71 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #2 spot on the list. Yale University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Haven, Connecticut. It awarded 24 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Yale also made our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. Average graduate tuition and fees at Yale are $44,500, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Area Studies at Yale

#3

Stanford University

Stanford, California

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 Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 32 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011.

Read full report on Area Studies at Stanford University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 47 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194.

Read more about Area Studies at Columbia

#5

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington University in St Louis. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified masters’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

WUSTL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Washington University in St Louis are $56,562, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full WUSTL Area Studies Report

#6

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Georgetown is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 123 masters’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Georgetown also took the #1 spot in our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Georgetown are $53,591, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Area Studies at Georgetown University

#7

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 25 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, UChicago has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UChicago are $61,548.

Full University of Chicago Area Studies Report

#8

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#14 in overall quality

Vanderbilt University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Vanderbilt is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 2 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt University are $50,624, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Area Studies at Vanderbilt University

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 22 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Area Studies Report

#10

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#10 in overall quality

Cornell University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Ithaca, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified masters’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell are $30,042, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Area Studies at Cornell University

#11

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#5 in overall quality

Brown University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Brown University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 20 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Brown also made our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. Average graduate tuition and fees at Brown University are $60,363, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Area Studies at Brown

#12

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified masters’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UF are $30,130, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Area Studies at UF

#13

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified masters’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Area Studies at Purdue

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 29 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. 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.

Read more about Area Studies at UW Seattle

#15

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s area studies degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #11 spot in our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Area Studies Report

#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UW - Madison Area Studies Report

#19 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 masters’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#18

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 masters’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at William & Mary are $34,800, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Area Studies at William & Mary

#19

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#18 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 9 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #18. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Berkeley are $29,347, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Area Studies at UC Berkeley

With a ranking of #20, Florida International University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 18 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Florida International University are $24,211, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Area Studies at Florida International University

#21

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s area studies degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also took the #22 spot in our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at IU Bloomington are $33,338, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Area Studies at IU Bloomington

With a ranking of #22, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. The University of Texas at Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 23 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Austin are $22,886.

Full UT Austin Area Studies Report

#23

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

With a ranking of #23, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 2 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Chapel Hill are $30,248, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Area Studies Report

#24

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CCNY is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 4 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at CCNY are $20,832, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Area Studies at CCNY

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 4 masters’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 South Florida - Main Campus are $21,126.

Full USF Tampa Area Studies Report

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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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