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.
Featured Area Studies Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Explore societal similarities and differences as seen through cultural, biological, archaeological and linguistic lenses when you earn one of your degrees in anthropology from Southern New Hampshire University.
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 suburb of Stanford.
Full Area Studies at Stanford University Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Area Studies Schools in California list. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school 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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Out of the 19 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public college with a fairly large student population.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Diego State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Area Studies Schools in California list. SDSU is a fairly 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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The excellent programs at University of San Francisco helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best area studies schools in California. USFCA is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of San Francisco.
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University of California - Los Angeles came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Area Studies Schools in California ranking. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college 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.
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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 city of La Jolla.
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Loyola Marymount University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best area studies programs. Loyola Marymount is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
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With a ranking of #9, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on this year’s best schools for area studies students. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public college with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that area studies majors at UCSB take out is $22,697.
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California State University - Long Beach landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best area studies programs. Located in the large city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public school with a very 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 Schools 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
Related Programs
Learn about other programs related to Area Studies that might interest you.
Explore societal similarities and differences as seen through cultural, biological, archaeological and linguistic lenses when you earn one of your degrees in anthropology from Southern New Hampshire University.
Gain a rich foundation of knowledge ranging from early history to modern times with this online bachelor's degree in history from Southern New Hampshire University.
The online Master of Arts in History degree program can deepen your understanding of how history is made.
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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