2023 Best Area Studies Schools in California
Finding the Best Area Studies School for You
Area Studies is the #98 most popular major in California with 879 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Area Studies Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 19 schools in California to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Area Studies Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Area Studies Colleges.
Top 10 Best Area Studies Schools
Our analysis found Stanford University to be the best school for area studies students who want to pursue a degree in California. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Stanford.
Full Area Studies at Stanford University Report
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Out of the 19 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, area studies graduates from UC Berkeley carry an average student debtload of $17,000.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Area Studies Schools in California list. Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Area Studies at University of California - Davis
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means San Diego State University is a great place for area studies students. SDSU is a very large public school located in the large city of San Diego.
Read full report on Area Studies at San Diego State University
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of San Francisco is a great place for area studies students. USFCA is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Francisco.
Full Area Studies at University of San Francisco Report
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With a ranking of #6, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on this year’s best schools for area studies students. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public school with a very large student population.
Area Studies majors at UCLA take out an average of $18,252 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Area Studies at University of California - Los Angeles Report
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University of California - San Diego came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Area Studies Schools in California ranking. UCSD is a very large public school located in the large city of La Jolla.
Full Area Studies at University of California - San Diego Report
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Loyola Marymount University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Area Studies Schools in California ranking. Loyola Marymount is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
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University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best area studies programs. Located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that area studies majors at UCSB take out is $22,697.
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With a ranking of #10, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on this year’s best schools for area studies students. Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, area studies graduates from CSULB carry an average student debtload of $13,367.
Full Area Studies at California State University - Long Beach Report
Request InformationBest 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 | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 236 |
| Oregon | 56 |
| Nevada | 4 |
| Hawaii | 57 |
| Alaska | 1 |
More Area Studies Rankings in California
Rankings in Majors Related to Area Studies
One of 2 majors within the area of study, area studies has other similar majors worth exploring.
Majors Similar to Area Studies
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Ethnic Studies | 9,231 |
| Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies (Other) | 46 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 19 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Karl Udo Gerth.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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