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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Area Studies in the Southwest Region

25 Ranked Colleges
971 Degrees Awarded
$31,000 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 6,966 people earned their degree in area studies, making the major the 115th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, area studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $33,127 and had an average of $20,927 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 971 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,908 and $20,361 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region” ranking analyzed 25 colleges that offered a degree in area studies. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their area studies program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region area studies students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Area Studies in the Southwest Region

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fort-Worth, Texas. It awarded 647 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Area Studies Report

2
Austin College crest
Austin College
Sherman, Texas

Out of the 25 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Austin College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Sherman, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Area Studies at Austin College

3
Southwestern crest
Southwestern University
Georgetown, Texas

Out of the 25 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Southwestern University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Georgetown, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Area Studies at Southwestern University

4
Trinity U crest
Trinity University
San Antonio, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Trinity University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region list. Trinity U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in San Antonio, Texas. It awarded 7 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Trinity U

5

Out of the 25 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. UNM is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 39 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Area Studies at University of New Mexico - Main Campus

6
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 73 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Area Studies at University of Arizona

7

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #7. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 107 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Area Studies at The University of Texas at Austin

8
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

With a ranking of #8, Rice University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region list. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Rice University Area Studies Report

9
NSU crest
Northeastern State University
Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Northeastern State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and it awarded 9 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at NSU

10
New Mexico Highlands University crest
New Mexico Highlands University
Las Vegas, New Mexico

New Mexico Highlands University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #10. New Mexico Highlands University is a public institution located in Las Vegas, New Mexico. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full New Mexico Highlands University Area Studies Report

11

Northwestern Oklahoma State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Northwestern Oklahoma State University is a small public school situated in Alva, Oklahoma. It awarded 1 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Area Studies at NWOSU

12

Southern Methodist University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Southern Methodist University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dallas, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Southern Methodist University

13
Baylor crest
Baylor University
Waco, Texas

Baylor University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Baylor is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waco, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Baylor

14

The University of Texas at El Paso landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in El Paso, Texas, this large public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Area Studies at UTEP

15

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region list. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Area Studies at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus

16
TCU crest
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, Texas

Texas Christian University ranked #16 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region list. TCU is located in Fort Worth, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Texas Christian University

17

Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #17 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region list. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large public school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area Studies at ASU - Tempe

18

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Norman, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full University of Oklahoma Area Studies Report

19
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas

University of Houston landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Houston, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UH Area Studies Report

20

The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #20. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this large public school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at The University of Texas at San Antonio

21

The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Richardson, Texas, this large public school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at The University of Texas at Dallas

22
CNM crest
Central New Mexico Community College
Albuquerque, New Mexico

With a ranking of #22, Central New Mexico Community College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region list. CNM is a fairly large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 1 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Area Studies at Central New Mexico Community College

23

University of North Texas ranked #23 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region list. University of North Texas is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 1 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of North Texas

24
UD crest
University of Dallas
Irving, Texas

With a ranking of #24, University of Dallas did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region list. UD is a small school located in Irving, Texas that handed out 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at University of Dallas

24

Dallas Baptist University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Dallas Baptist University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Full DBU Area Studies Report

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