2023 Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Massachusetts
9
Ranked Colleges
303
Degrees Awarded
$35,357
Avg Salary
When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies for a Bachelor’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 Massachusetts, there were 424 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,357 and $17,306 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 303 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $44,029 and $25,475 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 9 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in area studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality area studies programs as well as strong veteran support.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the area studies program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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 “Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies for a Bachelor’s” 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.
Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies for a Bachelor’s
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies for a Bachelor’s”.
Top 9 Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Massachusetts
Out of the 9 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Brandeis University landed the #1 spot on the list. Brandeis is located in Waltham, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 64 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree vets studying area studies list, Brandeis has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 41 of the 5,440 students enrolled at Brandeis University were GI Bill® students, of which 22 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,483. To help with additional expenses, 15 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies for a Bachelor’s list. Williams College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Williams also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #3.Our most recent data shows that 16 of the 1,987 students enrolled at Williams College were GI Bill® students, of which 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $26,154. In addition to receiving other benefits, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Williams]](/colleges/williams-college/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 9 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Amherst College landed the #3 spot on the list. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.
Amherst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list.According to our most recent data, Amherst supports 1,745 students, and 10 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 6 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,370. On top of their other funding sources, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Tufts University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies for a Bachelor’s list. Tufts University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Medford, Massachusetts. It awarded 28 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tufts, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking.Of the 12,219 students enrolled at Tufts University, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Tufts University]](/colleges/tufts-university/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Massachusetts Amherst. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies for a Bachelor’s. University of Massachusetts Amherst is located in Amherst, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
UMass Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list.Of the 31,642 students enrolled at University of Massachusetts Amherst, 477 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 252 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,295. During this same period, 21 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UMass Amherst]](/colleges/university-of-massachusetts-amherst/student-life/veterans/)
University of Massachusetts - Boston came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMass Boston, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking.Among the 16,259 students enrolled at University of Massachusetts - Boston, 678 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 362 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,414. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Massachusetts - Boston offers credit for military training for eligible students.
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Mount Holyoke College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #7. Mt. Holyoke is a private not-for-profit institution located in South Hadley, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Mt. Holyoke also took the #7 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking.Of the 2,040 students enrolled at Mount Holyoke College, 16 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $25,745. In addition to receiving other benefits, 8 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Mount Holyoke College]](/colleges/mount-holyoke-college/student-life/veterans/)
Wellesley College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking. Wellesley, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wellesley, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 11 of the 2,280 students enrolled at Wellesley were GI Bill® students, of which 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $26,725. In addition to receiving other benefits, 5 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%. 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.
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Smith College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #9. Smith is located in Northampton, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree vets studying area studies list, Smith has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking.Among the 2,504 students enrolled at Smith College, 23 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,293. On top of their other funding sources, 9 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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.
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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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- 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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- 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.
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