2023 Best Area Studies Colleges for Veterans in Massachusetts
9
Ranked Colleges
424
Degrees Awarded
$32,700
Avg Cost*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies” ranking - to help you make that 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 Massachusetts, there were 424 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,357 and $17,306 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies” ranking looked at 9 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 offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies
The colleges and universities below are the best for massachusetts vets studying area studies.
Top 9 Best Area Studies Colleges for Veterans in Massachusetts
Out of the 9 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies that were part of this year’s ranking, Brandeis University landed the #1 spot on the list. Brandeis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waltham, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 70 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Brandeis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Brandeis University supports 5,440 students, and 41 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 22 are 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 funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Brandeis]](/colleges/brandeis-university/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 9 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies that were part of this year’s ranking, Williams College landed the #2 spot on the list. 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 massachusetts vets studying area studies list, Williams has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 1,987 students enrolled at Williams College, 16 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $26,154. During this same period, 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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
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Out of the 9 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies 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 ’s area studies degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.
Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 1,745 students enrolled at Amherst, 10 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,370. On top of their other funding sources, 7 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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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Out of the 9 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies that were part of this year’s ranking, Tufts University landed the #4 spot on the list. Medford, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.
Tufts also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Tufts supports 12,219 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are 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 qualified for 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. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Tufts]](/colleges/tufts-university/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies list. This large school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 18 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UMass Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, UMass Amherst supports 31,642 students, and 477 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 252 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,295. On top of their other funding sources, 21 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UMass Amherst does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.
Full University of Massachusetts Amherst Veteran Student Life Report
University of Massachusetts - Boston came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies ranking. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our massachusetts vets studying area studies list, UMass Boston has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Massachusetts - Boston supports 16,259 students, and 678 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 362 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,414. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Massachusetts - Boston does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full UMass Boston Veteran Student Life Report
Mount Holyoke College ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies list. This small school is located in South Hadley, Massachusetts, and it awarded 17 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Mt. Holyoke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Mt. Holyoke supports 2,040 students, and 16 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 $25,745. To help with additional expenses, 8 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
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With a ranking of #8, Wellesley College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies list. Wellesley 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wellesley, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 2,280 students enrolled at Wellesley, 11 are 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 $26,725. In addition to receiving other benefits, 5 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.
Full Wellesley Veteran Student Life Report
Smith College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Massachusetts for Area Studies ranking, coming in at #9. Northampton, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 34 students in 2020-2021.
Smith also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 2,504 students enrolled at Smith, 23 were 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 qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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%. 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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