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2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for International Studies

352 Ranked Colleges
6,197 Degrees Awarded
$30,329 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on International Studies Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 7,368 people earned their degree in international studies, making the major the 100th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, international studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,198 and had an average of $21,594 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,197 international studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major” ranking analyzed 352 colleges that offered a degree in international studies. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in international studies.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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The international 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 Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major”.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree international studies students.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for International Studies

1

Out of the 352 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University Maritime Academy landed the #1 spot on the list. Cal Maritime is a public institution located in Vallejo, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s 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%.

Read more about International Studies at California State University Maritime Academy

2
Principia crest
Principia College
Elsah, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Principia College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major. Located in Elsah, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s international studies students in 2020-2021.

Full Principia International Studies Report

3
Centre College of Kentucky crest
Centre College
Danville, Kentucky

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Centre College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major. Centre College of Kentucky is a small school located in Danville, Kentucky that handed out 26 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 89%. 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%.

Full Centre College International Studies Report

4
USAFA crest
United States Air Force Academy
USAF Academy, Colorado

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend United States Air Force Academy. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major. Located in USAF Academy, Colorado, this small public school handed out 57 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s international studies students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on International Studies at USAFA

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Sewanee - The University of the South. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. Sewanee - The University of the South is a small school located in Sewanee, Tennessee that handed out 25 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.

Full Sewanee - The University of the South International Studies Report

6

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major ranking, coming in at #6. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 585 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 more about International Studies at University of California - San Diego

7
Macalester crest
Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota

With a ranking of #7, Macalester College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. Macalester College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 28 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Full Macalester College International Studies Report

8
Spelman crest
Spelman College
Atlanta, Georgia

With a ranking of #8, Spelman College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. Spelman is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 21 bachelors’s international 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about International Studies at Spelman

9
Warren Wilson crest
Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, North Carolina

Warren Wilson College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Swannanoa, North Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s international studies students in 2020-2021.

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.

Full Warren Wilson International Studies Report

10
Colby crest
Colby College
Waterville, Maine

With a ranking of #10, Colby College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. Colby is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waterville, Maine. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about International Studies at Colby College

11
MMC crest
Marymount Manhattan College
New York, New York

Marymount Manhattan College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major ranking. Located in New York, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s international studies students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full MMC International Studies Report

12
Kenyon crest
Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio

Kenyon College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major ranking. Kenyon is located in Gambier, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Kenyon College International Studies Report

13
Covenant crest
Covenant College
Lookout Mountain, Georgia

Covenant College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major ranking. Covenant is a small school located in Lookout Mountain, Georgia that handed out 9 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 International Studies at Covenant College

14

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major ranking. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 290 bachelors’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

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 International Studies at UCSB

15
Holy Cross crest
College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #15, College of the Holy Cross did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. Worcester, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s international studies degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.

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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on International Studies at College of the Holy Cross

16
St. Lawrence crest
St Lawrence University
Canton, New York

With a ranking of #16, St Lawrence University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. Canton, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s international studies degrees to 22 students 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 2.2%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full St Lawrence University International Studies Report

17
Bethany College West Virginia crest
Bethany College West Virginia
Bethany, West Virginia

Bethany College West Virginia ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. Bethany College West Virginia is located in Bethany, West Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

Full Bethany College West Virginia International Studies Report

18
Brandeis crest
Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts

Brandeis University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 66 degrees to qualified bachelors’s international studies students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on International Studies at Brandeis

19
JBU crest
John Brown University
Siloam Springs, Arkansas

John Brown University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. This small school is located in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Studies at John Brown University

20

Saint Edward’s University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major ranking. This small school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on International Studies at St. Edward’s University

21
Multnomah University crest
Multnomah University
Portland, Oregon

With a ranking of #21, Multnomah University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. Located in Portland, Oregon, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s international studies students 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%.

Read full report on International Studies at Multnomah University

22
New College crest
New College of Florida
Sarasota, Florida

New College of Florida landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major ranking. New College of Florida is located in Sarasota, Florida and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s international studies degrees to qualified students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full New College of Florida International Studies Report

23
W&J crest
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington, Pennsylvania

Washington & Jefferson College ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. Washington & Jefferson College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.

Read more about International Studies at Washington & Jefferson College

24
Elon crest
Elon University
Elon, North Carolina

Elon University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Elon, North Carolina, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s international studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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 Elon University International Studies Report

25
Hawaii Pacific University crest
Hawaii Pacific University
Honolulu, Hawaii

Hawaii Pacific University ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. Hawaii Pacific University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Hawaii Pacific University International Studies Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Albion crest
Albion College
Albion, Michigan
27
Monmouth crest
Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois
28
Hanover crest
Hanover College
Hanover, Indiana
29
Haverford crest
Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania
30
C of C crest
College of Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
31
Providence crest
Providence College
Providence, Rhode Island
32
Emmanuel Boston crest
Emmanuel College Massachusetts
Boston, Massachusetts
33
Flagler St. Augustine crest
Flagler College - St Augustine
Saint Augustine, Florida
34
35
PLU crest
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, Washington
36
Illinois Wesleyan crest
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, Illinois
37
Pitzer crest
Pitzer College
Claremont, California
38
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
39
St. Mary's College crest
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, Indiana
40
41
42
Hope crest
Hope College
Holland, Michigan
43
Gettysburg crest
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
44
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia
45
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
46
47
Pepperdine crest
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California
48
Southeast Missouri State University crest
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
49
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on International Studies Major

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE
52 Gallaudet University Washington, DC
53 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI

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Notes and References

References

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