2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in California
39
Ranked Colleges
568
Degrees Awarded
$27,480
Avg Salary
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 “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 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 “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 39 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in area studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular area studies programs in the United States.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s”.
Top 28 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 96 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of California - Berkeley
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 92 students 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Area Studies at UCLA
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s. Cal State 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
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 42 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.
Read full report on Area Studies at CSULB
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 37 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
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%. 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 California - Santa Barbara
With a ranking of #6, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at UC Irvine
University of California - Davis ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 34 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full UC Davis Area Studies Report
University of California - Riverside ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 19 bachelors’s area studies 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Riverside Area Studies Report
Scripps College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #9. Scripps College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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.
Full Scripps Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #9, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. USC is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 more about Area Studies at USC
University of California - San Diego came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. UCSD 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Full University of California - San Diego Area Studies Report
University of San Francisco landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of San Francisco 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 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 San Francisco
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #13. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. 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 more about Area Studies at SDSU
With a ranking of #13, Stanford University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Stanford, 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 12 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.
Read more about Area Studies at Stanford
California State University - Chico ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. California State University - Chico is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified 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%.
Full California State University - Chico Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #16, Occidental College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s 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 more about Area Studies at Occidental College
California State University - Sacramento came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Area Studies at California State University - Sacramento
California State University - Northridge came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
Read full report on Area Studies at CSUN
Azusa Pacific University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #19. Azusa Pacific University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Azusa, California. It awarded 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 more about Area Studies at Azusa Pacific University
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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 85%.
Read more about Area Studies at University of California - Santa Cruz
University of San Diego came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. USD 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 Diego
Chapman University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #22. Chapman University is located in Orange, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Area Studies at Chapman
Pomona College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s area studies degrees 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. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Pomona College Area Studies Report
Holy Names University ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Oakland, 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 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
Read more about Area Studies at HNU
Pitzer College ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
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. 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%.
Full Pitzer College Area Studies Report
Pepperdine University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Malibu, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students 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 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Area Studies at Pepperdine University
Loyola Marymount University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #22. This fairly large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
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. 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 Loyola Marymount University
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in California for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #22. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 3 bachelors’s area studies 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
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
Switch to a More Focused Major
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
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.
Credits
college factual
