20 BEST VALUE SMALL COLLEGES FOR A LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES DEGREE

Given that Davidson College offers majors in both Latin American Studies and Hispanic Studies, it's not hard to see why it qualifies for this Spanish undergraduate degrees ranking. And of course, there is no evidence that Davidson sacrifices quality for quantity in doing so. In fact, both majors provide unique perspectives on culture, history, and politics that stretch across Latin America, Spain, the Caribbean, and beyond. One crucial difference between these two degree programs is that the former offers classes primarily in English, while most classes in the latter take place in Spanish. However, both programs encourage members to study abroad, which often requires substantial bilingual competence.

While Brunswick, Maine, may not exactly be a hotbed of Hispanic cultural and ethnic diversity (especially compared to states like Texas) Bowdoin College nonetheless provides fascinating intellectual avenues for students who are looking to investigate the legacy of Latin America. Outside of its ambitious student and top-notch faculty, Bowdoin attracts attention as one of the top colleges for Spanish majors thanks to its strong support of undergraduate research. Programs like the Latin American Studies Research Grant and the John Harold Turner Senior Prize in Latin American Studies - not to mention numerous study abroad opportunities in countries like Mexico and Costa Rica - encourage Bowdoin students to apply their knowledge and experience both in and out of the classroom.

Comprised of faculty members from departments as diverse as anthropology, environmental studies, economics, and politics, Bates College's major program in Latin American Studies is a smorgasbord of rigorous courses in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. But while the breadth of study in this program is certainly notable, all coursework ultimately converges to a point as LAS majors tackle one final project. This Senior Thesis, which all students in this top college Latin American Studies program must complete, challenges LAS majors to synthesize their knowledge across disciplines to advance an original line of inquiry in their chosen field.

Albright College provides a variety of opportunities for students interested in Latin American and/or Caribbean Studies to advance their understanding of the cultural heritages, histories, and political/economic impacts of these storied regions. Students who wish to major in the field can choose from two programs: the Combined Major in Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Interdisciplinary Major in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. While the overlap between these two programs is evident in their respective names, this specialization option provides one "extra" feature that helps make Albright a top small college for Latin American Studies.

Lake Forest College's commitment to advancing and advocating for Hispanic culture has garnered it a well-deserved reputation as a top college for Spanish majors. For instance, Lake Forest has been a partner venue for the Chicago Latino Film Festival ("the largest U.S. film festival with a focus on Latin America and Latinos") for the past several years, not only providing exposure for Latino/a artists around the nation, but facilitating crucial cross-cultural exchanges among students as well. LFC's Latin American Studies Department has also built strong relationships with the likes of the Chicago International Latino Cultural Center, which has long been a mainstay for student internship opportunities.

Located in Central Texas, Southwestern University is poised at the nexus of US and Mexican culture and history. While this alone would make Southwestern a top college for a Latin American Studies degree, it's just the first of many advantages the program affords students who wish to investigate the richness of Latin American culture. LAS majors don't need to limit themselves to regional influences, either; instead, they can choose one or more regions of focus within "Latin America, the Caribbean, and [the] United States borderlands." And of course, all program members enjoy classes that will immerse them in a comprehensive array of critical perspectives.

Through a combination of interdisciplinary coursework; exciting travel, research, and outreach opportunities; and robust resources, Mount Holyoke College has established itself as one of the best small colleges for Latin American studies. Unlike its Spanish program (and many of the other LAS programs on this list), most of MHC's LAS professors use English in the classroom. Admittedly, this approach places a relatively smaller emphasis on language acquisition. However it also fosters greater accessibility between students of different backgrounds and allows instructors to incorporate a larger variety of texts into the curriculum. MHC also offers resources to make sure that students sustain success even after graduation. For example, Spanish Lynk: Classroom to Career helps first generation and/or underprivileged students build valuable professional skills and connections.

At Pizter College, one of the best colleges for Spanish majors, students can use their language skills to gain deeper insights into a constellation of social, political, and cultural forces that are shaping the Latin American community across hemispheres. Pitzer's Chicano/a-Latino/a Studies major synthesizes four core concentrations (art, politics, education, and cultural studies) into a learning experience that is far deeper and more challenging that a straightforward language program. Borne out of social movements in the 1960s, this program has a long history of investigating and enriching the lives of Latino/as and Chicano/as around the world.

Smith College's Latin American and Latino/a Studies program represents a collaborative effort on the part of the American, Spanish, and Portuguese Departments. By integrating a range of social and historical perspectives from each of these subjects, the program creates a trenchant framework for an undeniably robust curriculum. In fact, though only about 20 undergrads major in Latin American Studies each year, the college maintains a full list of courses (upwards of 30 or more) that fulfill program requirements. Like at other top colleges for a Latin American Studies degree, one of these requirements is lingual proficiency in Portuguese or Spanish. Of course, these language skills are especially helpful to majors who study abroad or perform research with native speakers in Latin America.

Arcadia University's affordable college Latin American studies program provides an immersive learning experience that truly enriches students' cultural awareness and critical acumen. Through required yearlong courses abroad in Toledo, Granada, or Barcelona, Arcadia guarantees that all Spanish Cultural Studies majors have firsthand exposure to their object of study. On campus and abroad, students engage in eclectic coursework that spans the history, art, politics, and economics of the entire Iberian Peninsula. This broad, comprehensive education is great preparation for a variety of international careers such as law, business, medicine, and government.