20 BEST VALUE SMALL COLLEGES FOR A LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES DEGREE

Updated December 13, 2022

The study of Latin America is an interdisciplinary field that includes language, history, and food in Central and South America. Those who take up Latin American studies can apply their knowledge of history and culture as United Nations verbatim reporters, counselors, museum curators, and many other jobs. We've provided a list of the 20 best ...

BestValueSchools.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

Are you ready to discover your college program?

The study of Latin America is an interdisciplinary field that includes language, history, and food in Central and South America. Those who take up Latin American studies can apply their knowledge of history and culture as United Nations verbatim reporters, counselors, museum curators, and many other jobs.

We've provided a list of the 20 best colleges for Latin American studies majors on a budget. In order to be eligible for our list, the school had to offer both language and culture programs in the field of Latin American studies or a related area. All of the colleges and universities we've chosen also have an undergraduate graduation rate of 55%, ensuring good educational outcomes. Finally, according to College Navigator, all of the programs have an estimated annual cost of less than $27,000 a year.

In order to find out about the cheapest college of all, you have to scroll down to #1!

Methodology

Each of these top schools has at least two relevant programs* for students seeking a bachelor's degree in Latin American studies or a related area (including but not limited to Hispanic Studies, Chicana/o Studies, Spanish, and Portuguese/Brazilian Studies). In addition, they each maintain an overall undergraduate graduation rate of at least 55%.

Of course, to be a best value, these top-ranked schools also have to demonstrate a genuine commitment to affordable education - which means meeting our net price requirements. All of the programs on this ranking have estimated annual costs (as reported on College Navigator) of less than $27,000 a year. But which of these is the most affordable small college for a Latin American studies degree? Scroll down to #1 to find out!

*For this ranking in particular, each top school had to offer both culture- and language-related programs to be eligible for consideration.

For more information on the methodology, click here.

#1 University of Minnesota-Morris Morris, MN
#2 Pomona College Claremont, CA
#3 Colby College Waterville, ME
#4 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
#5 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
#6 Colgate University Hamilton, NY
#7 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
#8 Wesleyan University Middletown, CT
#9 Millsaps College Jackson, MS
#10 Augustana College Rock Island, IL

Featured Online Programs

Figuring out where to apply? These top, accredited schools offer a variety of online degrees. Consider one of these accredited programs, and discover their value today.

  1. University of Minnesota-Morris
    Location

    Morris, MN

    Tuition

    $13352

    With a net price of less than $14,000 a year, the University of Minnesota-Morris is one of the most affordable small colleges for Latin American Studies in the United States. But UM hardly sacrifices value for affordability; in fact, the undergraduate research funding at Minnesota is ample even compared to far more competitive (and expensive) schools. This emphasis on student research is due in part to funding from the Morris Academic Partnership (MAP) program. Through this grant initiative, selected juniors can earn thousands of dollars a year to support their work alongside prominent faculty members in the Latin American Area Studies (LAAS) department.

  2. Pomona College
    Location

    Claremont, CA

    Tuition

    $18423

    Pomona College may well be the most prestigious and selective school on this list, which is reflected in the strength of its affordable college Latin American Studies program. Compared to schools, the program's major requirements are exceptionally rigorous: students must complete several years of language study (or pass a proficiency test), spend at least one semester abroad (in either Central or South America), and tackle a challenging capstone project - just to graduate! But in exchange for all this hard work, Pomona provides an experience almost unmatched in academic depth and abundance, as is evident in the intricate nature of the program's unique concentration options, which include Gender and Sexuality, Literature and Cultural Studies, Race and Ethnicity, and the Latin American Diaspora.

  3. Colby College
    Location

    Waterville, ME

    Tuition

    $18908

    It's difficult - some might say impossible - to genuinely appreciate or even understand Latin American culture without visiting the countries from whence it came. That's why Colby College invests so much in travel programs for its Latin American Studies majors. Whether through a week-long volunteering trip in Nicaragua over spring break, a semester abroad in Chile, or an independent research project in Oaxaca, it's easy to experience Latin America firsthand as an undergraduate at this affordable college Latin American Studies program. Colby also brings the Latin American experience to campus with a regular lecture series that features seminars and culturally-relevant film screenings.

  4. Middlebury College
    Location

    Middlebury, VT

    Tuition

    $20197

    Among liberal arts colleges in the Northeast, Middlebury College is perhaps best known for its exceptional language programs. Given that Middlebury is already a top college for Spanish majors, it's no doubt unsurprising to learn that its Latin American Studies programs are similarly strong. Drawing on excellent faculty and curricula in the Spanish department as well as coursework in economics, sociology, and literary theory, Middlebury's Latin American Studies major harnesses strengths from throughout the humanities and social sciences to create a truly fascinating and insightful perspective on Spanish-speaking culture.

  5. Vassar College
    Location

    Poughkeepsie, NY

    Tuition

    $21265

    For over thirty years, Vassar College's Latin American and Latino/a Studies program has brought discussion surrounding the politics and cultural exchange of Spanish-speaking countries to this already progressive institution. Like Wellesley, Vassar has long been a bastion of prominent female intellectuals, and the college has since extended the same invitations to ethnic scholars. As a result, Vassar is practically a stronghold of intellectual authorities in Hispanic cultural studies, including David Tavárez (ethnohistorian and linguistic anthropologist) and Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert (Caribbean culture expert and prolific author). With faculty members who have literally and figuratively written the book(s) on Latin American Studies, Vassar College is without a doubt one of the best colleges for Spanish majors.

  6. Colgate University
    Location

    Hamilton, NY

    Tuition

    $21741

    At Colgate University, a top college for Spanish majors, the Africana and Latin American Studies program exposes students to a wealth of unheard voices and perspectives in post-colonial theory. Given the broadness of the program's name, the department encourages participants to specialize in one of four geographical regions: African Studies, Caribbean Studies, African American Studies, and/or Latin American Studies. That being said, there is a fair amount of overlap in the core curricula of each respective program. For example, all ALAS majors must take classes in subjects like the theories of economic development, geopolitics, and urban sociology to acquire a firm theoretical foundation before exploring more specific topics.

  7. Wellesley College
    Location

    Wellesley, MA

    Tuition

    $22138

    Last year, U.S. News ranked Wellesley College the third best liberal arts college in the country, and its Spanish undergraduate degree ranking was not far behind. The faculty for Wellesley's Latin American Studies department is comprised of a cavalcade of prestigious scholars of Spanish, art, history, anthropology, and even engineering. Like many other schools on our list, this interdisciplinary thrust makes Wellesley's Latin American Studies curriculum much more intellectually stimulating than a traditional language program. But it's the caliber of Wellesley faculty (which the Princeton Review places 1st on its "Best Professors" ranking) that truly sets this program apart from the rest.

  8. Wesleyan University
    Location

    Middletown, CT

    Tuition

    $22257

    With an acceptance rate of less than 18% last year, Wesleyan University is already one of the most selective schools in the country. Believe it or not, Wesleyan's Latin American Studies major is more selective yet. To be admitted to this highly competitive interdisciplinary degree program, students must demonstrate language competency in Spanish, a high GPA, and top performance in prior Latin American Studies coursework. Once they're in, they must then complete a 20-page term paper on a salient topic in Latin American Studies in order to graduate. And while these standards may seem rigorous, they are firm building blocks on which Wesleyan has constructed one of the top programs on this Spanish undergraduate degrees ranking.

  9. Millsaps College
    Location

    Jackson, MS

    Tuition

    $22512

    With fewer than 800 undergraduates in the entire school, Millsaps College is among the smallest of the best small colleges for Latin American Studies. But what the school lacks in size and facilities it more than makes up for in intimacy and student resources. Indeed, the classroom culture of this small college makes it clear that many choose Millsaps not just for the academics, but also for the opportunity to build relationships with professors—and the Latin American Studies Department is no exception. As such, LAS majors can look forward to working closely with faculty members as they endeavor to understand the myriad social and political forces that shape Latin America.

  10. Augustana College
    Location

    Rock Island, IL

    Tuition

    $22715

    Combining language studies, interdisciplinary humanities coursework, experiential learning, and a capstone thesis project, Augustana College is one of the top small colleges for Latin American studies in the Midwest. And while many of the schools on this ranking offer some combination of these features, Augustana provides such a comprehensive experience for LAS majors that it practically deserves category of its own. In particular, the college's mandatory experiential learning component is a great way for students to forge their own academic path. To fulfill this requirement, program participants must either study abroad or complete an independent research project.

Want to find out exactly how much it will cost for you to attend one of these affordable college Latin American studies programs? Check out the U.S. Department of Education's Net Price Calculator Center.

We think you might also like: 50 Best Value Rankings: Best Small Colleges 2019

Sources:

College Navigator
PR Newswire - Princeton Review

Get prepared for your next steps

Use articles and resources to uncover answers to common questions, get guidance on your goals, and learn about applying to schools.

Discover a program that is right for you.

Explore different options for you based on your degree interests.