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2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k

22 Ranked Colleges
1,234 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

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 Far Western US region, there were 1,234 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,715 and $19,460 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer a degree in area studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great area studies programs and 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.

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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 “Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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.

Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 22 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 43 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

Stanford also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $7,081 for far western us region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Area Studies at Stanford

2

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 192 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $8,393 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 more about Area Studies at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

3

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #3 spot on the list. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 105 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also took the #1 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $13,423 for far western us region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 more about Area Studies at UC Berkeley

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 103 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $12,644 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 University of California - Los Angeles

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 35 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Davis has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $14,193 for far western us region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Area Studies at University of California - Davis

5

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #5 spot on the list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB also took the #9 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $11,189 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Area Studies at California State University - Long Beach

7

California State University - Fullerton came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 59 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #15 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $9,017 for far western us region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Area Studies at California State University - Fullerton

8

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSD has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $14,310 for far western us region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 94%.

Read more about Area Studies at UCSD

9

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 35 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $13,275 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Irvine.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Irvine Area Studies Report

10

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.

UCSB also took the #6 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $14,583 for far western us region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area Studies at UCSB

11
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #11, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 13 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $14,698 for far western us region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full San Diego State University Area Studies Report

12

University of California - Riverside came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $11,126 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCR.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full University of California - Riverside Area Studies Report

13
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Oregon is a large public school situated in Eugene, Oregon. It awarded 25 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UO also took the #12 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UO is $16,014 for far western us region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Oregon Area Studies Report

14

University of Hawaii at Manoa landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UH Manoa is a public institution located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 35 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UH Manoa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $15,183 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Hawaii at Manoa.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.

Read more about Area Studies at UH Manoa

15

With a ranking of #15, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $10,780 for far western us region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 CSUN

16
WWU crest
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Western Washington University is a fairly large school located in Bellingham, Washington that handed out 12 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, WWU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WWU is $16,819 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at WWU

17

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #17 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $15,567 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad 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.

Full UC Santa Cruz Area Studies Report

18

California State University - Chico landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $16,738 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Chico State Area Studies Report

19

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 7 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $12,602 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 California State University - Sacramento

20

With a ranking of #20, University of Washington - Bothell Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Washington - Bothell Campus is located in Bothell, Washington and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our far western us region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW Bothell has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,439 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW Bothell.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full UW Bothell Area Studies Report

21
Azusa Pacific crest
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, California

Azusa Pacific University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Azusa Pacific is a private not-for-profit institution located in Azusa, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Azusa Pacific also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $28,538 for far western us region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Azusa Pacific.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Azusa Pacific

22
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USFCA, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $36,818 for far western us region area studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend USFCA.

The undergrad 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 more about Area Studies at USFCA

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