2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k

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 the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k” 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 the Southwest region, there were 301 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,500 and $25,548 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 70 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $53,078 and $37,227 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 3 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 the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to 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 Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region master’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 3 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Southwest Region

#1

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, Texas

#1 in overall quality

$22,886 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$44,189 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at Austin. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 23 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UT Austin are $22,886, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Area Studies Report

#2

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

#2 in overall quality

$33,399 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$32,569 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Arizona landed the #2 spot on the list. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s area studies degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, University of Arizona has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Arizona are $33,399, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Arizona Area Studies Report

#3

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico

$19,890 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. UNM is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 masters’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

UNM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #0 on our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of New Mexico - Main Campus are $19,890.

Full UNM Area Studies Report

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $75-$110k)

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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