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2026 Best Value American U.S. Studies Schools in Pennsylvania

[American U.S. Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/area-studies/american-us-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools to find the best return on investment for american u.s. studies students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value American U.S. Studies Schools in Pennsylvania

2026 Best Value American U.S. Studies Schools in Pennsylvania

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the american u.s. studies degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value American U.S. Studies Schools

1

Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA

$65,650 In-State Tuition & Fees

$19,802 Avg Student Debt

$70,204 Median Earnings (10yr)

Dickinson College tops our 2026 list of the best value american u.s. studies schools in Pennsylvania. Located in the city of Carlisle, Dickinson College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $65,650. American U.s. Studies graduates carry a median of $19,802 in student loans. Early-career american u.s. studies graduates make about $32,722. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.

2

Franklin And Marshall College
Lancaster, PA

$70,794 In-State Tuition & Fees

$20,411 Avg Student Debt

$76,124 Median Earnings (10yr)

Franklin And Marshall College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value american u.s. studies schools. Located in the city of Lancaster, Franklin And Marshall College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $70,794. Students borrow a median of $20,411 to complete the american u.s. studies program here. American U.s. Studies graduates of Franklin And Marshall College earn a median of $43,020 early in their careers. Set against $20,411 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 28%.

View All American U.S. Studies Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 16 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked 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 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.