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2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in California

39 Ranked Colleges
568 Degrees Awarded
$27,480 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 California, there were 880 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,544 and $17,829 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 568 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,566 and $21,995 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California” ranking analyzed 39 colleges that offered a degree in area studies. That schools that top this list have a program in area studies in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California” 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in California

1
Scripps crest
Scripps College
Claremont, California

Out of the 39 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Scripps College landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students 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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Scripps

2
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Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Occidental College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California list. Los Angeles, 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 9 students in 2020-2021.

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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Occidental College

3
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Pitzer College
Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pitzer College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 Pitzer

4
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Holy Names University
Oakland, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Holy Names University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California list. Located in Oakland, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 Holy Names University

5
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Pomona College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pomona College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read full report on Area Studies at Pomona

6

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #6. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 96 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area Studies at UC Berkeley

7

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 92 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at UCLA

8

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCSB Area Studies Report

9
Claremont McKenna crest
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

Claremont McKenna College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #9. 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 2 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad 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%. 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.

Read more about Area Studies at Claremont McKenna

10

California State University - Fullerton landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 more about Area Studies at Cal State Fullerton

11
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University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking. USFCA is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 14 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full USFCA Area Studies Report

12

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 42 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national 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 California State University - Long Beach

13

University of California - Irvine landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of California - Irvine

14

University of California - Davis came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Area Studies at University of California - Davis

15

University of California - Riverside ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California list. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees 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%. 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 University of California - Riverside

16
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Stanford University Area Studies Report

17

California State University - Chico landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Chico State

18
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Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, California

Azusa Pacific University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California list. Azusa Pacific University is a medium-sized school located in Azusa, California that handed out 5 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read full report on Area Studies at Azusa Pacific University

19

University of California - San Diego landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of California - San Diego

20
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University of San Diego
San Diego, California

University of San Diego ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California list. University of San Diego is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 4 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%.

Read more about Area Studies at University of San Diego

21
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San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 12 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at SDSU

22
Chapman crest
Chapman University
Orange, California

Chapman University ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California list. This medium-sized school is located in Orange, California, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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 85%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Chapman

23
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Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Loyola Marymount

24
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University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #24. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of Southern California

25
Pepperdine crest
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California

Pepperdine University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking. Pepperdine is a private not-for-profit institution located in Malibu, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 Pepperdine University

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