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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Ethnic Studies in California

113 Ranked Colleges
2,708 Degrees Awarded
$32,300 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Ethnic Studies is the 99th most popular major in the country with 9,231 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, ethnic studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $30,818 and had an average of $22,901 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 2,708 ethnic studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,622 and $17,755 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California” ranking looked at 113 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in ethnic studies. To top this list, a school must have a successful ethnic 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 Ethnic Studies Schools

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 Ethnic Studies Major in California

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California”.

1

Out of the 113 schools in the Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 358 ’s ethnic studies degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.

Read more about Ethnic Studies at University of California - Los Angeles

2

Out of the 113 schools in the Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #2 spot on the list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ethnic studies degrees to 213 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge Ethnic Studies Report

3

Out of the 113 schools in the Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #3 spot on the list. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 207 ’s 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full UC Davis Ethnic Studies Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Cruz. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California list. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ethnic studies degrees to 166 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Ethnic Studies Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 129 ’s ethnic studies degrees 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UC Berkeley Ethnic Studies Report

6
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #6, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California list. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 128 ’s ethnic studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Ethnic Studies at SFSU

7

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #7. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ethnic studies degrees to 114 students 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Ethnic Studies at University of California - Santa Barbara

8

California State University - Sacramento came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California ranking. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ethnic studies degrees to 107 students 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%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Ethnic Studies Report

9

California State University - Long Beach ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California list. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 98 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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 Ethnic Studies at CSULB

10

University of California - Irvine came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California ranking. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 53 ’s ethnic studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Ethnic Studies at University of California - Irvine

11
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #11. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 49 ’s ethnic studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Ethnic Studies at SDSU

12

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 46 ’s ethnic studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Read full report on Ethnic Studies at California State University - Los Angeles

13

California State University - Fresno landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California ranking. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Ethnic Studies at Fresno State

14

With a ranking of #14, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 42 ’s ethnic studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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%.

Full UCR Ethnic Studies Report

15
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

With a ranking of #15, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California list. Located in Rohnert Park, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 41 diplomas to qualified ’s ethnic studies students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 Ethnic Studies at Sonoma State University

16

California State University - Fullerton ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ethnic studies degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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 full report on Ethnic Studies at California State University - Fullerton

17
Mt. SAC crest
Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California

Mt. San Antonio College ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California list. This large school is located in Walnut, California, and it awarded 37 ’s ethnic studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Ethnic Studies at Mt. SAC

18

University of California - San Diego came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California ranking. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 ’s ethnic 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Ethnic Studies at University of California - San Diego

19
Sierra College crest
Sierra College
Rocklin, California

Sierra College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California ranking. Sierra College is a public institution located in Rocklin, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Ethnic Studies at Sierra College

20
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California ranking. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s ethnic studies degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Ethnic Studies at Stanford University

21
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #21. San Jose State University is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Ethnic Studies at San Jose State University

22

California State University - East Bay ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California list. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 29 ’s ethnic studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Ethnic Studies at California State University - East Bay

23

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 28 ’s ethnic studies degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Ethnic Studies at Cal Poly Pomona

24
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

With a ranking of #24, Santa Clara University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California list. Santa Clara University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Santa Clara, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Full SCU Ethnic Studies Report

25
City College of San Francisco crest
City College of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

City College of San Francisco came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California ranking. City College of San Francisco is a fairly large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 41 ’s ethnic studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Ethnic Studies at City College of San Francisco

25
Claremont Graduate University crest
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, California

Claremont Graduate University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Ethnic Studies Major in California ranking. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 30 diplomas to qualified ’s ethnic studies students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.

Read full report on Ethnic Studies at Claremont Graduate University

Notes and References

References

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