by our College Data Analytics Team
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2021-2022, 6,614 people earned their degree in international studies, making the major the 100th most popular in the United States. 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.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major” ranking looked at 390 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in international studies. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their international studies program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
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” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for international studies students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University Maritime Academy. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major. This small school is located in Vallejo, California, and it awarded 21 ’s international studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Multnomah University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. Multnomah University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Portland, Oregon. It awarded 11 ’s international studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on International Studies at Multnomah University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Principia College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. Principia is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elsah, Illinois. It awarded 3 ’s international studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Out of the 390 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Centre College landed the #4 spot on the list. Danville, Kentucky is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 23 students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend United States Air Force Academy. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. United States Air Force Academy is a small public school situated in USAF Academy, Colorado. It awarded 55 ’s international studies degrees 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. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on International Studies at United States Air Force Academy
Sewanee - The University of the South came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major ranking. Sewanee - The University of the South is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Sewanee, Tennessee. It awarded 23 ’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%. 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 90%.
Read more about International Studies at Sewanee - The University of the South
University of California - San Diego landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major ranking. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 537 ’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 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Macalester College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major ranking. This small school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 38 ’s international studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.
Read full report on International Studies at Macalester College
Spelman College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major ranking. Spelman College is a small school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 22 ’s international studies degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Warren Wilson College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major ranking, coming in at #10. Warren Wilson College is located in Swannanoa, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Colby College ranked #11 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. This small school is located in Waterville, Maine, and it awarded 42 ’s international studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Marymount Manhattan College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major ranking. Marymount Manhattan College is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 8 ’s international studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about International Studies at Marymount Manhattan College
Kenyon College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Gambier, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified ’s international studies students 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. 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.
University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major ranking, coming in at #14. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 192 ’s international studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara International Studies Report
With a ranking of #15, Covenant College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. Located in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified ’s international studies students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% 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%.
College of the Holy Cross ranked #16 on this year’s Schools 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 ’s international studies degrees to 32 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 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.
St Lawrence University ranked #17 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. This small school is located in Canton, New York, and it awarded 21 ’s international studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
With a ranking of #18, Bethany College West Virginia did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. Bethany College West Virginia is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bethany, West Virginia. It awarded 1 ’s international studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on International Studies at Bethany College West Virginia
Brandeis University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Waltham, Massachusetts, and it awarded 50 ’s international studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 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%.
John Brown University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major ranking. Siloam Springs, Arkansas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 8 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Northwest University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major ranking. Northwest University is located in Kirkland, Washington and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6 ’s international studies degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Saint Edward’s University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major ranking. Saint Edward’s University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.
Read more about International Studies at St. Edward’s University
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. Norman, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 166 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about International Studies at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus
Northwest University - College of Adult and Professional Studies ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. Kirkland, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 26 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #25, New College of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on International Studies Major list. Sarasota, Florida is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s international studies degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.
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 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | American Public University System | Charles Town, WV |
| 52 | University of Mount Union | Alliance, OH |
| 53 | Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA |
| 54 | Southeast Missouri State University | Cape Girardeau, MO |
| 55 | University of California - Irvine | Irvine, CA |
| 56 | Heidelberg University | Tiffin, OH |
| 57 | University of Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IN |
| 58 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | Omaha, NE |
| 59 | Gallaudet University | Washington, DC |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
