2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Area Studies is the 106th most popular major in the country with 6,820 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 California, there were 1,008 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,743 and $17,480 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 651 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking looked at 20 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in area studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality area studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the area studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools
The area studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California”.
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 for a Bachelor’s in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California.
Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 65 students in 2019-2020.
CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low 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 more about Area Studies at California State University - Long Beach
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 103 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree area studies students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.
Read more about Area Studies at University of California - Berkeley
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Francisco State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.
SFSU also took the #14 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California 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 California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree area studies students per year to attend UCLA.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 68 students in 2019-2020.
Cal State Fullerton also took the #13 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree area studies students.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #6, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree area studies students list, CSUN has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree area studies students per year to attend CSUN.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Irvine ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 19 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree area studies students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read more about Area Studies at University of California - Irvine
With a ranking of #8, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 17 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students per year to attend California State University - Chico.
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 California State University - Chico
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree area studies students.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, 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%.
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #10. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.
San Diego State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
SDSU also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.
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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #12, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 20 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree area studies students.
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%.
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students per year to attend UCSB.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara Area Studies Report
University of California - Davis came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 28 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree area studies students list, UC Davis has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,669 for california bachelor’s degree area studies students per year to attend UC 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at University of California - Davis
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 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 #15 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $18,186 for California Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Read more about Area Studies at University of California - Santa Cruz
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.
Cal State LA also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree area studies students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Loyola Marymount University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Loyola Marymount did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $42,861 for california bachelor’s degree area studies students per year to attend Loyola Marymount University.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #18, University of San Francisco did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. USFCA is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 16 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
USFCA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for USFCA is $36,424 for California Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students.
The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 full report on Area Studies at University of San Francisco
Stanford University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #19. Stanford University 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $11,496 for california bachelor’s degree area studies students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, 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 students. 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 ranking of #20, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of Southern California is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 22 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $29,528 for california bachelor’s degree area studies students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%. The impressive 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.
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Karl Udo Gerth.
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