2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region
19
Ranked Colleges
184
Degrees Awarded
$41,365
Avg Salary
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking - to help you make that 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 the Far Western US region, there were 1,234 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,715 and $19,460 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 184 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $61,693 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in area studies. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their area studies program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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 for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region”.
Top 19 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in the Far Western US Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 28 masters’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Area Studies at Stanford
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of San Francisco. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region list. University of San Francisco is a fairly large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 17 masters’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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 USFCA Area Studies Report
Out of the 19 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Hawaii at Manoa landed the #3 spot on the list. Honolulu, Hawaii is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s area studies degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at UH Manoa
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pepperdine University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region list. This fairly large school is located in Malibu, California, and it awarded 8 masters’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Pepperdine University Area Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Cal State LA
University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 32 masters’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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Area Studies Report
University of Oregon ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region list. University of Oregon is a large school located in Eugene, Oregon that handed out 7 masters’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at UO
University of Southern California landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 17 masters’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 1.3%, 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 more about Area Studies at University of Southern California
University of California - Los Angeles ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 11 masters’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Area Studies Report
University of Alaska Fairbanks did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #10. UAF is a public institution located in Fairbanks, Alaska. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Full UAF Area Studies Report
California State University - Fullerton came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s area studies degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Full Cal State Fullerton Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #12, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 8 masters’s area studies 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Area Studies at UC Berkeley
California State University - Long Beach ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region list. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 masters’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full California State University - Long Beach Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #14, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified masters’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of California - San Diego
With a ranking of #15, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 2 masters’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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.
Read more about Area Studies at UCR
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s area studies degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 UCSB
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #17. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read more about Area Studies at San Diego State University
With a ranking of #18, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region list. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 masters’s 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 UC Davis
Washington State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Wazzu is located in Pullman, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 0 masters’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
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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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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate 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.
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