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2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k

11 Ranked Colleges
983 Degrees Awarded
$19,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Area Studies is the 115th most popular major in the country with 6,966 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, area studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $33,127 and had an average of $20,927 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 983 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,290 and $20,478 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 11 colleges that offered a degree in area studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great area studies programs and 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 11 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Southeast Region

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 55 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Duke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $18,113 for southeast region area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Duke University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Area Studies at Duke

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 221 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #3 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $19,088 for southeast region area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

3
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 15 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $12,874 for Southeast Region Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Florida.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at UF

4
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, William & Mary landed the #4 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, and it awarded 63 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region area studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, William & Mary has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $19,472 for southeast region area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend William & Mary.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Area Studies at William & Mary

5
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Emory University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 51 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region area studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, Emory has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $24,104 for Southeast Region Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Emory University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Emory Area Studies Report

6
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Florida State is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 15 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida State also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $15,203 for southeast region area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Florida State University

7
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia

With a ranking of #7, University of Richmond did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Richmond is located in University of Richmond, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

URichmond also took the #5 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for URichmond is $22,625 for southeast region area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of Richmond

8
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #8, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $22,021 for southeast region area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Virginia Area Studies Report

9

University of North Carolina at Charlotte landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Charlotte also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend UNC Charlotte is $21,011 for southeast region area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of North Carolina at Charlotte Area Studies Report

10
UofL crest
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky

University of Louisville ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Louisville is a large school located in Louisville, Kentucky that handed out 11 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UofL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $20,122 for southeast region area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UofL.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of Louisville

11

Virginia Commonwealth University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. VCU is a large public school situated in Richmond, Virginia. It awarded 60 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at VCU, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Commonwealth University is $23,030 for southeast region area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full VCU Area Studies Report

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