2023 Best Area Studies Master's Degree Schools in California
Finding the Best Area Studies Master's Degree 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Area Studies Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 11 schools in California to see which ones offered the best master's degree programs for students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.
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 Master’s Degree Schools in California
The colleges and universities below are the best for area studies majors pursuing a master's degree.
Top 10 Best Area Studies Master's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Stanford University the best school in California for area studies students working on their master’s degree. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Stanford.
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The excellent master’s degree programs at University of California - Berkeley helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best area studies schools in California. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a very large student population.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of San Francisco. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California list. USFCA is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of San Francisco.
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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 Master’s Degree Schools in California list. SDSU is a very large public school located in the large city of San Diego.
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The excellent master’s degree programs at University of California - Davis helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best area studies schools in California. Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public college with a very large student population.
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University of California - San Diego ranked #6 on this year’s Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California list. UCSD is a fairly large public school located in the large city of La Jolla.
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With a ranking of #7, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on this year’s best schools for area studies students working on their master’s degree. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Full Area Studies at University of California - Los Angeles Report
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California State University - Long Beach landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree area studies programs. Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public college with a very large student population.
Full Area Studies at California State University - Long Beach Report
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University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree area studies programs. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Full Area Studies at University of California - Santa Barbara Report
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California State University - Fullerton ranked #10 on this year’s Best Area Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Area Studies at California State University - Fullerton
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
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 11 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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