College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid

22 Ranked Colleges
1,234 Degrees Awarded
$15,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 6,966 people earned their degree in area studies, making the major the 115th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, area studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $33,127 and had an average of $20,927 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 1,234 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,715 and $19,460 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 22 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in area studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality area studies programs that also have a lower cost than 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Area Studies Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Area Studies Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region area studies students with aid.

Top 22 Best Value Colleges for Area Studies in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)

1

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 192 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $12,017 for far western us region area studies students with aid per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Area Studies Report

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #2 spot on the list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $12,894 for far western us region area studies students with aid per year to attend Stanford University.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full Stanford University Area Studies Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 103 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $15,023 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of California - Los Angeles

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 105 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read full report on Area Studies at University of California - Berkeley

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 48 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $10,054 for far western us region area studies students with aid.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 full report on Area Studies at CSULB

6

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 59 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region area studies students with aid list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $8,003 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Area Studies at Cal State Fullerton

7

University of California - Davis came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 35 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $15,768 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students with aid per year to attend UC Davis.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Area Studies at UC Davis

8

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 22 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $15,240 for far western us region area studies students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Area Studies at University of California - San Diego

9

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 35 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also took the #8 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $12,209 for far western us region area studies students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Irvine Area Studies Report

10

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 38 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB also took the #6 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $16,252 for far western us region area studies students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at UCSB

11
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 13 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $13,845 for far western us region area studies students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad 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%.

Full SDSU Area Studies Report

12

University of California - Riverside landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region area studies students with aid list, UCR has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $11,822 for far western us region area studies students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at UCR

13

California State University - Northridge landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $8,523 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at CSUN

14
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. UO is a large school located in Eugene, Oregon that handed out 25 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region area studies students with aid list, UO has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Oregon is $18,047 for far western us region area studies students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UO Area Studies Report

15

With a ranking of #15, University of Hawaii at Manoa did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Honolulu, Hawaii, this fairly large public school awarded 35 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

UH Manoa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UH Manoa is $14,687 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.

Read more about Area Studies at UH Manoa

16

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Chico State is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.

Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $16,218 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 California State University - Chico

17
WWU crest
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Bellingham, Washington, this fairly large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

WWU also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $17,070 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students with aid per year to attend WWU.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at WWU

18

California State University - Sacramento came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 7 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State also took the #21 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $11,178 for far western us region area studies students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Sac State Area Studies Report

19

With a ranking of #19, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 5 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #17 spot in our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $17,930 for far western us region area studies students with aid per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Area Studies at UC Santa Cruz

20

University of Washington - Bothell Campus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Washington - Bothell Campus is a medium-sized school located in Bothell, Washington that handed out 10 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Bothell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $11,562 for far western us region area studies students with aid per year to attend UW Bothell.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 UW Bothell

21
Azusa Pacific crest
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, California

Azusa Pacific University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Azusa Pacific University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Azusa, California. It awarded 5 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Azusa Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Azusa Pacific University is $30,744 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students with aid.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at Azusa Pacific

22
USFCA crest
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, California

University of San Francisco came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of San Francisco is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 31 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

USFCA also made our “Best Area Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend University of San Francisco is $40,053 for Far Western US Region Area Studies students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at USFCA

Switch to a More Focused Major

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options