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2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

125 Ranked Colleges
7,368 Degrees Awarded
$7,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

This year’s “Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 125 colleges that offered a degree in international studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great international 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 international 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.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for international studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for International Studies (Income $30-$48k)

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 $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 117 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn also made our “Best International Studies Schools” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $1,938 for International Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about International Studies at UPenn

2
Colby crest
Colby College
Waterville, Maine

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Colby College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Colby College 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 estimated yearly cost for Colby is $2,361 for international studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 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 91%.

Read full report on International Studies at Colby

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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington University in St Louis. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. WUSTL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 64 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our international studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, WUSTL has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,446 for international studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Washington University in St Louis.

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 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about International Studies at WUSTL

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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 $5,670 for international studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about International Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 135 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $9,999 for international studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 UC Berkeley

6
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

With a ranking of #6, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 90 diplomas to qualified ’s international studies students in 2020-2021.

UF also made our “Best International Studies Schools” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend UF is $2,857 for International Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UF International Studies Report

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 95 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our international studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $4,788 for International Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about International Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison

8

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 42 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best International Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $9,891 for international studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

9

With a ranking of #9, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 585 students in 2020-2021.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best International Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $11,176 for International Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 - San Diego

10

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $5,729 for International Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill International Studies Report

11
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Boston College is a fairly large school located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that handed out 86 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Boston College also made our “Best International Studies Schools” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $7,075 for international studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Read more about International Studies at Boston College

12

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large public school handed out 165 degrees to qualified ’s international studies students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Tempe, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $10,628 for international studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about International Studies at ASU - Tempe

13

University of California - Irvine ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 172 students in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best International Studies Schools” list. It costs about $8,449 for international studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Irvine.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 full report on International Studies at UC Irvine

14

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 293 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best International Studies Schools” list. It costs about $11,606 for international studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCSB.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on International Studies at University of California - Santa Barbara

15

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 54 degrees to qualified ’s international studies students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $8,036 for international studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about International Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

16
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia

With a ranking of #16, University of Richmond did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Richmond is located in University of Richmond, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

URichmond not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best International Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Richmond is $8,606 for international studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Full University of Richmond International Studies Report

17
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Carnegie Mellon University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon also took the #6 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon is $13,608 for International Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 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. 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 Carnegie Mellon University International Studies Report

18

Florida International University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Florida International University is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 68 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,882 for international studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend FIU.

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 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Studies at FIU

19
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 61 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best International Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $9,136 for international studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 Notre Dame International Studies Report

20

Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Rexburg, Idaho, and it awarded 68 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend BYU - I is $3,357 for International Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 BYU - I

21
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

American Public University System came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. American Public University System is a private for-profit institution located in Charles Town, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 234 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

American Military University also took the #19 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,885 for International Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend American Military University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about International Studies at American Military University

22
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, this fairly large public school awarded 40 degrees to qualified ’s international studies students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UNF is $6,074 for International Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 full report on International Studies at University of North Florida

23

With a ranking of #23, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 67 ’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UCF is $6,256 for international studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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%.

Full University of Central Florida International Studies Report

24
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #24, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 66 diplomas to qualified ’s international studies students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $9,448 for international studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 NC State International Studies Report

25

Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value International Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in College Station, Texas, this large public school awarded 160 degrees to qualified ’s international studies students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M College Station, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best International Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,949 for International Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas A&M College Station.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on International Studies at Texas A&M University - College Station

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