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2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

125 Ranked Colleges
7,368 Degrees Awarded
$7,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

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 International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 7,368 people earned their degree in international studies, making the major the 100th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, international studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,198 and had an average of $21,594 in loans still to pay off.

For this year’s “Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 125 colleges that offer a degree in international studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality international studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the international studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for International Studies (Income $0-$30k)

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Pennsylvania is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 117 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn also took the #1 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $580 for International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 95%.

Full University of Pennsylvania International Studies Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 209 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best International Studies Schools” list. It costs about $2,670 for International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.

Read full report on International Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

3
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Out of the 125 schools in the Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington University in St Louis landed the #3 spot on the list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 64 students in 2020-2021.

WUSTL also took the #4 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WUSTL is $1,556 for International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read more about International Studies at WUSTL

4
Colby crest
Colby College
Waterville, Maine

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Colby College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Colby is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waterville, Maine. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colby, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Colby College is $2,648 for International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on International Studies at Colby College

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 135 degrees to qualified ’s international studies students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best International Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,450 for International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read full report on International Studies at UC Berkeley

6
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 90 degrees to qualified ’s international studies students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UF, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UF is $65 for International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about International Studies at UF

7

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 95 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also made our “Best International Studies Schools” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $3,981 for International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on International Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison

8
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston College is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. It awarded 86 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Boston College also took the #15 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $10,212 for international studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 93%.

Read full report on International Studies at Boston College

9

With a ranking of #9, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 11 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $3,753 for International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on International Studies at UNC Chapel Hill

10

University of California - San Diego landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 585 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD also made our “Best International Studies Schools” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $9,823 for International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSD.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Studies at UCSD

11

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 42 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our international studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,037 for international studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about International Studies at University of California - Los Angeles

12

With a ranking of #12, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 54 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $4,858 for International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 Illinois at Urbana-Champaign International Studies Report

13

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 165 students in 2020-2021.

ASU - Tempe did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best International Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Tempe is $8,969 for international studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.

Read full report on International Studies at ASU - Tempe

14
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 61 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our international studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $9,872 for International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about International Studies at University of Notre Dame

15

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 293 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best International Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $10,568 for international studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCSB International Studies Report

16

University of California - Irvine landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 172 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $6,540 for International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.

Read more about International Studies at University of California - Irvine

17
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Carnegie Mellon University is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

Carnegie Mellon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best International Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon is $16,456 for international studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Carnegie Mellon University International Studies Report

18
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 66 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $7,283 for International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Read full report on International Studies at NC State

19

Florida International University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school handed out 68 degrees to qualified ’s international studies students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend FIU is $3,196 for international studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Read more about International Studies at FIU

20
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 46 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,927 for international studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Michigan State University International Studies Report

21
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia

University of Richmond came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. URichmond is a small school located in University of Richmond, Virginia that handed out 19 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at URichmond, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Richmond is $8,010 for International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 93%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on International Studies at URichmond

22

Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 160 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our international studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Texas A&M College Station has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M University - College Station is $11,220 for International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 Texas A&M College Station International Studies Report

23
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

With a ranking of #23, American Public University System did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Charles Town, West Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 234 students in 2020-2021.

American Military University also took the #19 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,660 for international studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend American Military University.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on International Studies at American Military University

24
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our international studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, USC has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $17,287 for International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full USC International Studies Report

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Central Florida is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 67 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UCF is $4,468 for International Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Central Florida International Studies Report

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