2023 Most Focused Colleges for Area Studies in California
62
Ranked Colleges
$35,500
Avg Cost*
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 Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2021-2022, 6,257 people earned their degree in area studies, making the major the 115th most popular in the United States. In , area studies graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $33,127 and had an average of $22,500 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 793 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,544 and $16,143 respectively.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California” ranking looked at 62 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California”.
Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Area Studies in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Scripps College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California. Scripps College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Area Studies at Scripps College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Coastline Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California list. Coastline Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Fountain Valley, California. It awarded 97 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
Read more about Area Studies at Coastline Community College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Occidental College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California list. Occidental College is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 10 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, 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.
Read more about Area Studies at Oxy
Out of the 62 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Pitzer College landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
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 93%.
Read more about Area Studies at Pitzer
Out of the 62 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Holy Names University landed the #5 spot on the list. HNU is located in Oakland, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 0 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
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 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%.
Full Holy Names University Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #6, Stanford University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 62 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Stanford University
University of San Francisco did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #7. University of San Francisco is located in San Francisco, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 16 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 San Francisco
With a ranking of #8, Pomona College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California list. Pomona is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 Pomona
University of California - Berkeley landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 65 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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 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 University of California - Berkeley
With a ranking of #10, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 78 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #11, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California list. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 57 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
Full California State University - Fullerton Area Studies Report
Citrus College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #12. Glendora, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 0 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 Citrus College
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #13 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Area Studies at University of California - Santa Barbara
Claremont McKenna College ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California list. Claremont McKenna College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Area Studies at Claremont McKenna College
California State University - Long Beach ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 48 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
Read full report on Area Studies at CSULB
Pepperdine University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #16. Malibu, 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 7 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Pepperdine Area Studies Report
Berkeley City College ranked #17 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California list. This medium-sized school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 5 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
Read full report on Area Studies at Berkeley City College
University of California - Davis came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking. Located in Davis, California, this large public school awarded 22 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at UC Davis
University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 15 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full UCR Area Studies Report
University of California - Irvine came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, 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%.
Read full report on Area Studies at UC Irvine
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
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%.
Full California State University - Los Angeles Area Studies Report
California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school awarded 23 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
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%.
Full Chico State Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #23, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California list. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full USC Area Studies Report
Santa Ana College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California ranking. SAC is a large school located in Santa Ana, California that handed out 8 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
Read full report on Area Studies at Santa Ana College
Azusa Pacific University ranked #25 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in California list. Azusa Pacific University is a medium-sized school located in Azusa, California that handed out 3 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 Azusa Pacific
