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

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k” 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. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 62 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $60,240 and $41,137 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 4 colleges that offer 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools

The area studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

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

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

Top 4 Best Value Master’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

$39,369 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 47 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard are $50,654, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Area Studies at Harvard

#2

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

$57,666 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Boston University landed the #2 spot on the list. Boston U is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 1 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boston U, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Boston University are $57,666, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Boston University Area Studies Report

#3

University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston, Massachusetts

#3 in overall quality

$36,485 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Massachusetts - Boston. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Massachusetts - Boston is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 masters’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our massachusetts master’s degree area studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, UMass Boston has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Area Studies Master’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 University of Massachusetts - Boston are $36,485.

Read more about Area Studies at UMass Boston

#4

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts

#2 in overall quality

$52,060 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brandeis University landed the #4 spot on the list. Brandeis University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Waltham, Massachusetts. It awarded 5 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Brandeis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Brandeis University are $52,060, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Area Studies at Brandeis University

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