by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
International Studies is the 100th most popular major in the country with 6,614 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , international studies graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $34,413 and had an average of $23,173 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 1,305 international studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,635 and $21,936 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California” ranking, we looked at 36 colleges that offer a degree in international studies. That schools that top this list have a program in international studies in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California”.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University Maritime Academy. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California list. Located in Vallejo, California, this small public school awarded 21 degrees to qualified ’s international studies students in 2021-2022.
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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California list. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 537 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, 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 95%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 192 ’s international studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pitzer College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 11 students in 2021-2022.
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 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pepperdine University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California. Pepperdine is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Malibu, California. It awarded 21 ’s international studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #6, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California list. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 149 ’s international studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on International Studies at University of California - Irvine
Pacific Union College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California ranking. Located in Angwin, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified ’s international studies students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Channel Islands ranked #8 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California list. CSUCI is a public institution located in Camarillo, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Channel Islands International Studies Report
Concordia University, Irvine landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California ranking. Concordia University, Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 3 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about International Studies at Concordia University, Irvine
With a ranking of #10, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California list. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 122 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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 International Studies at University of California - Berkeley
Humboldt State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California ranking. Humboldt State University is located in Arcata, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 7 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about International Studies at Humboldt State University
California State University - Monterey Bay ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California list. Seaside, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 10 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about International Studies at California State University - Monterey Bay
Whittier College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #13. Whittier College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Whittier, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Point Loma Nazarene University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California list. San Diego, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 11 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Point Loma Nazarene University International Studies Report
University of the Pacific did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #15. Pacific is located in Stockton, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
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%.
La Sierra University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #16. La Sierra University is a small school located in Riverside, California that handed out 1 ’s international studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
California State University - Long Beach ranked #17 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 30 ’s international studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, 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 87%.
Read more about International Studies at California State University - Long Beach
University of California - Riverside landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 26 ’s international studies degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
University of San Francisco ranked #19 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California list. USFCA is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
With a ranking of #20, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 41 ’s international studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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 freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Westmont College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California ranking. Westmont is a private not-for-profit institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California State University - East Bay ranked #22 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California list. Hayward, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 10 students in 2021-2022.
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 International Studies at California State University - East Bay
Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California ranking, coming in at #23. Rohnert Park, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 4 students in 2021-2022.
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%.
Chapman University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California list. This fairly large school is located in Orange, California, and it awarded 8 ’s international studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
California State University - San Marcos landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major in California ranking. CSUSM is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 15 ’s international studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - San Marcos International Studies Report
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
