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Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southwest Region

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2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southwest Region

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

4 Colleges
$29,945 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$28,908 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Area Studies School for You

Out of all the majors we analyze each year, area studies was ranked #112 in the country. In fact 6,966 degrees and certificates were handed out in 2020-2021.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southwest Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 4 schools in the Southwest Region to see which programs offered the best value experiences for area studies students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southwest Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Area Studies Colleges.

Best Southwest Region Schools for Affordable Quality in Area Studies

Our 2023 rankings named The University of Texas at Austin the best value school in the Southwest Region for area studies students. Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UT Austin are $40,996 a year. While working on their degree, area studies majors at UT Austin accumulate an average of around $15,412 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $268, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

UT Austin not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #2 on our Best Area Studies Schools in the Southwest Region list.

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Out of the 4 schools in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Arizona State University - Tempe landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Tempe, ASU - Tempe is a public college with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at ASU - Tempe are $29,438 a year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, ASU - Tempe also is in the top 20% of our Best Area Studies Schools in the Southwest Region ranking.

Read full report on Area Studies at Arizona State University - Tempe

#2

University of Arizona

Tucson, AZ

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Arizona. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southwest Region list. University of Arizona is a very large public school located in the large city of Tucson.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at University of Arizona are $35,153 per year. After completing their degree, area studies graduates from University of Arizona carry an average student debtload of $23,750.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of Arizona

$25,243 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of New Mexico - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the city of Albuquerque, UNM is a public college with a very large student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNM are $25,243 per year. The average amount in student loans that area studies majors at UNM take out is $18,531.

Read More…

Best Area Studies Colleges by State

Explore the best area studies colleges for a specific state in the Southwest region.

State Degrees Awarded
Texas 804
Arizona 83
Oklahoma 17
New Mexico 42

One of 2 majors within the area of study, area studies has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Ethnic Studies 9,231
Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Other) 46

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 4 schools only.

  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Karl Udo Gerth.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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