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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Far Western US Region

29 Ranked Colleges
984 Degrees Awarded
$19,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking.

Area Studies is the 106th most popular major in the country with 6,820 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, area studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,734 and had an average of $23,024 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 1,412 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,483 and $21,165 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 984 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 29 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in area studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great area studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the area studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies (Income $75-$110k) in the Far Western US Region

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 21 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $10,631 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, 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 86%.

Read more about Area Studies at Stanford University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 193 students in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $18,110 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 68 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $12,916 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Area Studies at California State University - Fullerton

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 103 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $21,401 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 96%.

Full UC Berkeley Area Studies Report

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #5 spot on the list. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $14,544 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 89%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Area Studies Report

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $9,576 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA Area Studies Report

#7

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 99 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $19,590 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 full report on Area Studies at University of California - Los Angeles

University of California - Riverside landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $18,395 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, 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 students.

Read full report on Area Studies at UCR

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $19,851 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at UC Irvine

#25 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, CSUN has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $15,346 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend CSUN.

The 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 more about Area Studies at CSUN

University of California - Davis landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also took the #12 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $17,622 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Area Studies at UC Davis

With a ranking of #12, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, UCSD has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $20,205 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at UCSD

#23 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $15,812 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Sac State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Sac State Area Studies Report

#14

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, Hawaii

University of Hawaii at Manoa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #14. UH Manoa is a fairly large school located in Honolulu, Hawaii that handed out 19 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, UH Manoa has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Hawaii at Manoa is $18,547 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 full report on Area Studies at University of Hawaii at Manoa

#15

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#17 in overall quality

San Francisco State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $21,027 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Area Studies at San Francisco State University

#16

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, SDSU has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $18,766 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend SDSU.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Area Studies at SDSU

#17

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $22,226 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Area Studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.

Full UCSB Area Studies Report

#18

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Western Washington University is located in Bellingham, Washington and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

WWU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WWU is $21,213 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at WWU

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #19. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 17 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State also took the #22 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $19,444 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Chico Area Studies Report

#20

Oregon State University

Corvallis, Oregon
#9 in overall quality

Oregon State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Oregon State University is a large school located in Corvallis, Oregon that handed out 8 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Oregon State also made our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Oregon State University is $23,645 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Read more about Area Studies at Oregon State University

#21

University of Oregon

Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #21. This large school is located in Eugene, Oregon, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UO also took the #18 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UO is $22,282 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Full UO Area Studies Report

#22

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#20 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #22. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 2 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $22,739 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Area Studies at University of California - Santa Cruz

#23

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k list, USC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Area Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $30,858 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full USC Area Studies Report

#24

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

Washington State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #24. This large school is located in Pullman, Washington, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Wazzu is $22,090 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Wazzu

University of Washington - Tacoma Campus came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UW Tacoma is a medium-sized public school situated in Tacoma, Washington. It awarded 5 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,651 for far western us region bachelor’s degree area studies students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Washington - Tacoma Campus.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 Area Studies at UW Tacoma

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Notes and References

References

  • 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 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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