2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major
419
Ranked Colleges
4,550
Degrees Awarded
$31,493
Avg Salary
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,550 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major” ranking analyzed 419 colleges that offered a degree in area studies. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in area studies.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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.
Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major
The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree area studies students.
Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies
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 for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major. Fort-Worth, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 81 students 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.
Read full report on Area Studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bowdoin College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major. Located in Brunswick, Maine, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 51 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Bowdoin College Area Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wesleyan University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. This small school is located in Middletown, Connecticut, and it awarded 79 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Wesleyan U Area Studies Report
Out of the 419 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Connecticut College landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in New London, Connecticut, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Area Studies at Connecticut College
Out of the 419 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Barnard College landed the #5 spot on the list. Barnard is located in New York, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Area Studies at Barnard College
With a ranking of #6, Oberlin College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Oberlin College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oberlin, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. 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.
Read more about Area Studies at Oberlin College
Scripps College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Area Studies at Scripps
Trinity College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking, coming in at #8. Hartford, Connecticut is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. The undergraduate 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.
Read more about Area Studies at Trinity College
Houghton College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking, coming in at #9. Houghton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Houghton, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergrad 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 Houghton
Dickinson College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking, coming in at #10. Dickinson is a private not-for-profit institution located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Dickinson College Area Studies Report
Smith College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking, coming in at #11. Smith is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northampton, Massachusetts. It awarded 34 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 full report on Area Studies at Smith
Williams College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Williams is a private not-for-profit institution located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Area Studies at Williams College
With a ranking of #13, Middlebury College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Located in Middlebury, Vermont, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.
Read full report on Area Studies at Middlebury
Wellesley College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Wellesley College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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 0.6% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 Wellesley
Hobart and William Smith Colleges ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Located in Geneva, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate 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. 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%.
Full Hobart and William Smith Colleges Area Studies Report
Furman University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Furman is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Greenville, South Carolina. It awarded 27 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate 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. 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%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Furman
St Olaf College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Northfield, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Full St Olaf College Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #18, Carleton College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Northfield, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about Area Studies at Carleton College
Brandeis University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Brandeis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waltham, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Area Studies at Brandeis
With a ranking of #20, Franklin and Marshall College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Lancaster, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 18 students 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. 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 Franklin and Marshall College
Amherst College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Amherst is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Amherst, Massachusetts. It awarded 12 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 Amherst
With a ranking of #22, Davidson College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Davidson College is located in Davidson, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
Read full report on Area Studies at Davidson
Vassar College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Poughkeepsie, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 Vassar
Mount Holyoke College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking, coming in at #24. Mount Holyoke College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It awarded 17 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate 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. 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%.
Full Mt. Holyoke Area Studies Report
Colgate University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Located in Hamilton, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Colgate University Area Studies Report
college factual
