2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Plains States Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
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. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Plains States Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 7 schools in the Plains States Region to see which ones offered the best value programs for area studies students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
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.
Best Plains States Region Schools for Affordable Quality in Area Studies
Our 2023 rankings named University of Minnesota - Duluth the best value school in the Plains States Region for area studies students. Located in the small city of Duluth, UMN Duluth is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UMN Duluth are $19,148 a year.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Mizzou undergraduate students pay an average of $30,450 in tuition and fees each year. On average, area studies graduates from Mizzou take out $25,250 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $461, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Mizzou excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Area Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list.
Full Area Studies at University of Missouri - Columbia Report
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Out of the 7 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public school with a very large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Iowa State are $25,446 per year. While working on their degree, area studies majors at Iowa State accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
Iowa State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Area Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list.
Full Area Studies at Iowa State University Report
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list. UMN Twin Cities is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Minneapolis.
UMN Twin Cities undergraduate students pay an average of $33,818 in tuition and fees each year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UMN Twin Cities also is in the top 15% of our Best Area Studies Schools in the Plains States Region ranking.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list. Iowa is a fairly large public school located in the city of Iowa City.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Iowa are $31,905 a year. On average, area studies graduates from Iowa take out $25,141 in student loans while working on their degree.
Iowa excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Area Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of Iowa
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St Olaf College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for area studies students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the distant town of Northfield, St. Olaf is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at St. Olaf are $52,670 a year. Area Studies majors at St. Olaf take out an average of $23,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
St. Olaf also claimed a spot on our Best Area Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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Carleton College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for area studies students. It came in at #7 on the list. Carleton is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Northfield.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Carleton are $60,225 a year.
Carleton did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Area Studies Schools in the Plains States Region list.
Full Area Studies at Carleton College Report
Request InformationBest Area Studies Colleges by State
Explore the best area studies schools for a specific state in the Plains States region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Missouri | 113 |
| Minnesota | 92 |
| Kansas | 38 |
| Iowa | 53 |
| Nebraska | 9 |
| North Dakota | 2 |
| South Dakota | 0 |
More Area Studies Rankings in the Plains States Region
Other Related Area Studies Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Explore societal similarities and differences as seen through cultural, biological, archaeological and linguistic lenses when you earn one of your degrees in anthropology from Southern New Hampshire University.
Area Studies Related Majors for Area Studies
One of 2 majors within the area of study, area studies has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Ethnic Studies | 9,231 |
| Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Other) | 46 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 7 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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