2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in Illinois (With Aid)

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Illinois, there were 139 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,433 and $25,759 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 46 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,267 and $46,814 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 4 colleges that offer a degree in area studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality area studies programs that also have a lower cost than 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools

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 for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois master’s degree area studies students with aid.

Top 4 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in Illinois (With Aid)

#1

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, Illinois

#2 in overall quality

$30,083 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 14 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree area studies students with aid list, UIUC has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083.

Full UIUC Area Studies Report

#2

University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

#3 in overall quality

$27,036 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s area studies degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree area studies students with aid list, UIC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIC are $27,036, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Area Studies at UIC

#3

Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago, Illinois

$17,032 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northeastern Illinois University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 1 degrees to qualified masters’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #0 on our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northeastern Illinois University are $17,032, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Area Studies Report

#4

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

#1 in overall quality

$61,548 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$38,289 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 25 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree area studies students with aid list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UChicago are $61,548.

Read more about Area Studies at University of Chicago

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (With Aid)

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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