2026 Best Value Latin American Studies Schools in New York
[Latin American Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/area-studies/latin-american-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 19 schools to find the best return on investment for latin american studies students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Latin American Studies Schools in New York
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in latin american studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Latin American Studies Schools
For return on investment in latin american studies, no school beat Columbia University In The City Of New York this year. Set in the city of New York, Columbia University In The City Of New York is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $70,517. Latin American Studies graduates carry a median of $22,486 in student loans. Early-career latin american studies graduates make about $41,903. That is a strong return on a $22,486 median debt. Columbia University In The City Of New York admits about 4% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in latin american studies will find it at New York University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of New York, New York University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $62,796. Students borrow a median of $19,250 to complete the latin american studies program here. Early-career latin american studies graduates make about $51,233. That is a strong return on a $19,250 median debt. The acceptance rate is 9%.
A rank of #3 makes Vassar College one of the best values for latin american studies. Vassar College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Poughkeepsie. In-state tuition and fees average $71,030. Latin American Studies graduates carry a median of $18,486 in student loans. Soon after graduation, latin american studies degree recipients from Vassar College generally make around $22,741. That is a strong return on a $18,486 median debt. Roughly 19% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Barnard College earned it the #4 place for latin american studies. Located in the city of New York, Barnard College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $69,888. Latin American Studies graduates carry a median of $19,000 in student loans. Latin American Studies graduates of Barnard College earn a median of $50,790 early in their careers. Set against $19,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Barnard College admits about 9% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in latin american studies will find it at Syracuse University, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Syracuse, Syracuse University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $65,528. Latin American Studies graduates carry a median of $26,130 in student loans. Latin American Studies graduates of Syracuse University earn a median of $54,785 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,130 median debt. Syracuse University admits about 46% of applicants.
Fordham University placed #6 among the best values for latin american studies. Fordham University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Bronx. In-state tuition and fees average $64,470. Students borrow a median of $26,884 to complete the latin american studies program here. Early-career latin american studies graduates make about $59,403. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 59%.
More Latin American Studies Rankings
View All Latin American Studies Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 19 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
