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2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Washington

11 Ranked Colleges
236 Degrees Awarded
$35,400 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Washington

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 “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Washington” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Area Studies is the 115th most popular major in the country with 6,966 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 Washington, there were 236 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,738 and $18,027 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Washington” ranking looked at 11 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.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Washington”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Washington

The colleges and universities below are the best for washington area studies students.

Top 11 Most Focused Colleges for Area Studies in Washington

1

Out of the 11 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Washington that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 192 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students 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 93%.

Read more about Area Studies at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

2
PLU crest
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, Washington

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pacific Lutheran University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Washington. PLU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tacoma, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Pacific Lutheran University

3
SPU crest
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle, Washington

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Seattle Pacific University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Washington list. SPU is a small school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 8 ’s area studies 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%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Seattle Pacific University

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Bothell Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Washington. UW Bothell 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.

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%.

Read more about Area Studies at UW Bothell

5
WWU crest
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Washington University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Washington. Western Washington University is a public institution located in Bellingham, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 Western Washington University

6
CWU crest
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, Washington

With a ranking of #6, Central Washington University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Washington list. This fairly large school is located in Ellensburg, Washington, and it awarded 4 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Area Studies at Central Washington University

7

University of Washington - Tacoma Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Washington ranking. Located in Tacoma, Washington, this medium-sized public school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Washington - Tacoma Campus Area Studies Report

8
Seattle U crest
Seattle University
Seattle, Washington

Seattle University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Washington ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 2 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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.

Full Seattle University Area Studies Report

9
Gonzaga crest
Gonzaga University
Spokane, Washington

Gonzaga University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Washington ranking, coming in at #9. Gonzaga is a medium-sized school located in Spokane, Washington that handed out 1 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Full Gonzaga University Area Studies Report

10
Whitman crest
Whitman College
Walla Walla, Washington

Whitman College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Washington ranking. Walla Walla, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 0 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 Whitman College Area Studies Report

10
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in Washington list. Located in Pullman, Washington, this large public school awarded 0 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

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 full report on Area Studies at Washington State University

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