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

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

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.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 3 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 3 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Southwest Region (With Aid)

#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 join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Austin. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 23 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Austin are $22,886, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Area Studies at The University of Texas at Austin

#2

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

#2 in overall quality

$33,399 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$32,569 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Arizona. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school awarded 17 degrees to qualified masters’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Arizona are $33,399, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Arizona Area Studies Report

#3

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico

$19,890 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of New Mexico - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 6 masters’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

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. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of New Mexico - Main Campus are $19,890, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of New Mexico - Main Campus

• 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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