2026 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in North Carolina
[Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 17 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools.
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Featured Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BA in Anthropology
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.
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BA in History
Gain a rich foundation of knowledge ranging from early history to modern times with this online bachelor's degree in history from Southern New Hampshire University.
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MA in History
The online Master of Arts in History degree program can deepen your understanding of how history is made.
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2026 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in North Carolina
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools
For return on investment in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies, no school beat University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill this year. Set in the city of Chapel Hill, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,994 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $41,203. Typical student debt for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates is $12,988. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $31,879. Set against $12,988 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 15%.
Students looking for strong value in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies will find it at University Of North Carolina At Greensboro, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Greensboro, University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,661, compared with $24,012 for out-of-state students. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates carry a median of $27,210 in student loans. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates of University Of North Carolina At Greensboro earn a median of $29,723 early in their careers. Set against $27,210 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro admits about 88% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes University Of North Carolina At Charlotte one of the best values for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies. Set in the city of Charlotte, University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,239, while out-of-state students pay about $22,492. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates carry a median of $31,000 in student loans. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $37,411. Set against $31,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Piedmont International University earned it the #4 place for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies. Set in the city of Winston-Salem, Piedmont International University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $17,575 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates is $28,154. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates of Piedmont International University earn a median of $61,421 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $28,154 median debt. The acceptance rate is 40%.
Duke University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. Set in the city of Durham, Duke University is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,758. Students borrow a median of $13,296 to complete the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies program here. Soon after graduation, area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degree recipients from Duke University generally make around $83,388. Set against $13,296 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Duke University admits about 6% of applicants.
More Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Rankings
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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 · 17 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
