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2023 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies in the New England Region (With Aid)

16 Ranked Colleges
928 Degrees Awarded
$26,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 6,966 people earned their degree in area studies, making the major the 115th most popular in the United States. 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 New England region, there were 928 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,429 and $16,672 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 16 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 16 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies in the New England Region (With Aid)

1
Bowdoin crest
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, Maine

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Bowdoin College landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Brunswick, Maine, and it awarded 51 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Bowdoin also took the #1 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $22,840 for new england region area studies students with aid per year to attend Bowdoin.

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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Bowdoin College Area Studies Report

2
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Williams College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid. Williams is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It awarded 24 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our new england region area studies students with aid list, Williams has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Williams is $23,497 for new england region area studies students with aid.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Area Studies at Williams

3
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid. New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 58 students in 2020-2021.

Yale also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Yale is $15,296 for New England Region Area Studies students with aid.

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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Area Studies at Yale University

4
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wellesley College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Wellesley College is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Wellesley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the New England Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Wellesley College is $23,908 for new england region area studies students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Wellesley College Area Studies Report

5
Amherst crest
Amherst College
Amherst, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Amherst College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 12 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

Amherst also took the #10 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Amherst is $21,657 for New England Region Area Studies students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Amherst Area Studies Report

6
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

With a ranking of #6, Dartmouth College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 49 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

Dartmouth also took the #3 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth College is $32,410 for new england region area studies students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Dartmouth College Area Studies Report

7
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Brown University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 101 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Brown also took the #2 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brown is $29,544 for New England Region Area Studies students with aid.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Area Studies at Brown University

8
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont

Middlebury College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Middlebury is located in Middlebury, Vermont and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Middlebury, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Middlebury is $26,525 for new england region area studies students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area Studies at Middlebury

9
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 28 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our new england region area studies students with aid list, Tufts has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Tufts is $37,494 for new england region area studies students with aid.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Tufts

10
UCONN crest
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut

University of Connecticut landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCONN is a large school located in Storrs, Connecticut that handed out 15 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UCONN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the New England Region” list. It costs about $22,974 for new england region area studies students with aid per year to attend UCONN.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Connecticut Area Studies Report

11
Smith crest
Smith College
Northampton, Massachusetts

Smith College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Smith is a small school located in Northampton, Massachusetts that handed out 34 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our new england region area studies students with aid list, Smith has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. It costs about $29,615 for New England Region Area Studies students with aid per year to attend Smith.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Area Studies at Smith

12
Trinity Bantams crest
Trinity College
Hartford, Connecticut

Trinity College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Hartford, Connecticut, and it awarded 33 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Trinity Bantams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the New England Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Trinity Bantams is $32,694 for new england region area studies students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Trinity Bantams Area Studies Report

13

University of Massachusetts - Boston came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 20 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UMass Boston also took the #16 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMass Boston is $17,752 for new england region area studies students with aid.

Full University of Massachusetts - Boston Area Studies Report

14
Brandeis crest
Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts

Brandeis University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. This medium-sized school is located in Waltham, Massachusetts, and it awarded 70 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Brandeis also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the New England Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Brandeis University is $33,663 for new england region area studies students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Brandeis Area Studies Report

15
Mt. Holyoke crest
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, Massachusetts

Mount Holyoke College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Mt. Holyoke is a small school located in South Hadley, Massachusetts that handed out 17 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Mt. Holyoke also took the #14 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the New England Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mt. Holyoke is $28,724 for new england region area studies students with aid.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.

Full Mt. Holyoke Area Studies Report

16
Conn College crest
Connecticut College
New London, Connecticut

Connecticut College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the New England Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Conn College is located in New London, Connecticut and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Conn College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the New England Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Conn College is $30,977 for new england region area studies students with aid.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area Studies at Conn College

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