College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Area Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in California

17 Colleges in California
568 Bachelor's Degrees
$27,480 Avg Early-Career Salary
Area Studies is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #85 most popular bachelor's degree program in the country. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

College Factual reviewed 17 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for bachelor's degree seekers in the field of area studies. Combined, these schools handed out 568 bachelor's degrees in area studies to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Area Studies School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Area Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in California The area studies bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality area studies program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for area studies students working on their bachelor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Area Studies Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Area Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Area Studies in California

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for area studies students seeking a a bachelor's degree.

10 Top California Schools for a Bachelor's in Area Studies

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
12 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat Stanford University if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in area studies. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford.More information about a bachelor’s in area studies from Stanford University

2
96 Annual Graduates
$40,373 Median Starting Salary
$14,972 Median Student Debt

Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in area studies needs to check out University of California - Berkeley. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Berkeley.

Those area studies students who get their bachelor's degree from University of California - Berkeley earn $12,893 more than the typical area studies grad.

More information about a bachelor’s in area studies from University of California - Berkeley

3
92 Annual Graduates
$22,438 Median Starting Salary
$17,746 Median Student Debt

University of California - Los Angeles is a great decision for individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in area studies. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population.

Soon after graduating, area studies bachelor's recipients generally make around $22,438 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in area studies from University of California - Los Angeles

4
17 Annual Graduates
$25,884 Median Starting Salary
$11,300 Median Student Debt

University of California - San Diego is a good decision for individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in area studies. UCSD is a very large public university located in the city of La Jolla.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the area studies program state that they receive average early career earnings of $25,884.

More information about a bachelor’s in area studies from University of California - San Diego

5
34 Annual Graduates
$14,167 Median Student Debt

Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in area studies from University of California - Davis

6
37 Annual Graduates
$19,866 Median Starting Salary
$22,697 Median Student Debt

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a very large student population.

After graduation, area studies bachelor's recipients usually make around $19,866 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in area studies from University of California - Santa Barbara

7
35 Annual Graduates

UC Irvine is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Irvine.More information about a bachelor’s in area studies from University of California - Irvine

8
42 Annual Graduates
$30,213 Median Starting Salary
$15,697 Median Student Debt

CSULB is a very large public university located in the large city of Long Beach.

Bachelor's recipients from the area studies major at California State University - Long Beach make $2,733 more than the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a bachelor’s in area studies from California State University - Long Beach

9
12 Annual Graduates

SDSU is a fairly large public university located in the large city of San Diego.More information about a bachelor’s in area studies from San Diego State University

10
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA

USFCA is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of San Francisco.

Area Studies bachelor's degree recipients from University of San Francisco receive an earnings boost of about $4,293 above the typical income of area studies majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in area studies from University of San Francisco

Best Area Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Area Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 226 203
Oregon 185 44
Nevada 129 4
Hawaii 112 39
Alaska 75 0

View All Rankings >

Area Studies is one of 2 different types of Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies programs to choose from.

Area Studies Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
American U.S. Studies 195
Asian Studies 142
Latin American Studies 51
East Asian Studies 43
Area Studies, Other 35
Near & Middle Eastern Studies 29
Chinese Studies 19
Italian Studies 17
Japanese Studies 10
Russian Studies 9

Majors Similar to Area Studies

Related Major Annual Graduates
Ethnic Studies 2,086

Notes and References

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options