2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s
419
Ranked Colleges
4,550
Degrees Awarded
$31,493
Avg Salary
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s” 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 “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 419 colleges that offered a degree in area studies. To top this list, a school must have a successful area studies program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s” 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. 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.
Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree area studies students.
Top 25 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 219 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Area Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 159 diplomas to qualified bachelors’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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Area Studies at UW Seattle
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 96 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Berkeley Area Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 92 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at UCLA
Out of the 419 schools in the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary landed the #5 spot on the list. 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.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Area Studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
With a ranking of #6, Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s list. Wesleyan U is located in Middletown, Connecticut and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 79 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
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. 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 1.1% 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 Wesleyan University
Brown University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Brown is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 74 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Area Studies at Brown
University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s list. Mizzou is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 70 bachelors’s area studies degrees 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 Mizzou Area Studies Report
Brigham Young University - Provo came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Provo, Utah, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 69 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
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 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%.
Read more about Area Studies at Brigham Young University - Provo
With a ranking of #10, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 64 students in 2020-2021.
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. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Full Columbia University in the City of New York Area Studies Report
Brandeis University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 64 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies 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. 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. 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%.
Full Brandeis Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #12, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s list. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 62 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Area Studies at UT Austin
Virginia Commonwealth University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. VCU is located in Richmond, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 60 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.
Full Virginia Commonwealth University Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #14, Fordham University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s list. Fordham U is located in Bronx, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 59 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Full Fordham U Area Studies Report
Miami University - Oxford landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public school situated in Oxford, Ohio. It awarded 56 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at Miami University - Oxford
Emory University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #16. Emory is a private not-for-profit institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 51 bachelors’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 1.4% 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%. 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 Emory University
California State University - Fullerton ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s list. 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.
Full Cal State Fullerton Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #16, William & Mary did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Area Studies at William & Mary
Bowdoin College ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s list. Brunswick, Maine is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 51 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%. 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.
Read more about Area Studies at Bowdoin College
New York University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. New York University is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Full New York University Area Studies Report
University of Maryland Global Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #20. UMGC is located in Adelphi, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 49 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at UMGC
Dartmouth College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hanover, New Hampshire. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 1.3% 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 Dartmouth
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read more about Area Studies at U-M
With a ranking of #24, University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Columbia, South Carolina, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of South Carolina - Columbia Area Studies Report
University of Arizona did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school awarded 44 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Full University of Arizona Area Studies Report