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2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

29 Ranked Colleges
984 Degrees Awarded
$9,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 6,820 people earned their degree in area studies, making the major the 106th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, area studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,734 and had an average of $23,024 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 1,412 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,483 and $21,165 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 984 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 29 colleges that offered a degree in area studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent area studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the area studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Stanford also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $1,145 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stanford University.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Stanford University

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 193 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $7,467 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #3 spot on the list. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 103 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $9,130 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Area Studies at UC Berkeley

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #4 spot on the list. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 68 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $6,100 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Cal State Fullerton

#5

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 99 students in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $9,254 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area Studies at UCLA

University of California - Irvine ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $10,373 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.

Full UC Irvine Area Studies Report

California State University - Long Beach ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 65 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #11 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $7,595 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Area Studies Report

University of California - Riverside ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $9,151 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCR.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full University of California - Riverside Area Studies Report

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 5 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,117 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Cal State LA

#25 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

CSUN also took the #25 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $6,883 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUN.

The 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 more about Area Studies at CSUN

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

UCSD also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $9,974 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at UCSD

#12

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 12 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $10,594 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full San Diego State University Area Studies Report

With a ranking of #13, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $10,769 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, 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 93%.

Full University of California - Davis Area Studies Report

#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $7,823 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Sac State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Sac State

#15

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

USC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend USC is $16,252 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at USC

#16

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $11,895 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 UCSB Area Studies Report

#17

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 4 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $12,517 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Area Studies at San Francisco State University

#18

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Bellingham, Washington, this fairly large public school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

WWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend WWU is $11,228 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The 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 full report on Area Studies at WWU

#19

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

Washington State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Washington State University is located in Pullman, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Washington State University is $11,337 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Wazzu Area Studies Report

#20

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#20 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $11,793 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Area Studies at University of California - Santa Cruz

#21

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, Hawaii

University of Hawaii at Manoa landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Honolulu, Hawaii is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH Manoa, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Hawaii at Manoa is $12,540 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low 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%.

Read full report on Area Studies at UH Manoa

#22

University of Oregon

Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Oregon is a large public school situated in Eugene, Oregon. It awarded 17 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, UO has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Oregon is $13,108 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 UO Area Studies Report

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. California State University - Chico is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 17 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Chico State has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $11,576 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Chico State

#24

Oregon State University

Corvallis, Oregon
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, Oregon State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oregon State University is a large school located in Corvallis, Oregon that handed out 8 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Oregon State has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oregon State University is $15,770 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Area Studies at Oregon State

University of Washington - Tacoma Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW Tacoma is a medium-sized public school situated in Tacoma, Washington. It awarded 5 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,222 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Washington - Tacoma Campus.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 University of Washington - Tacoma Campus Area Studies Report

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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