by our College Data Analytics Team
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Area Studies is the 115th most popular major in the country with 6,257 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , area studies graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $33,127 and had an average of $22,500 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major” ranking analyzed 464 colleges that offered a degree in area studies. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in area studies.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
The area studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
The colleges and universities below are the best for area studies students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is a small school located in Fort Worth, Texas that handed out 540 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
Full Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Area Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bowdoin College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Bowdoin is located in Brunswick, Maine and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 47 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wesleyan University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Wesleyan U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Middletown, Connecticut. The school has a small population, and it awarded 80 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Out of the 464 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Connecticut College landed the #4 spot on the list. Conn College is a small school located in New London, Connecticut that handed out 19 ’s area 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 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Out of the 464 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Barnard College landed the #5 spot on the list. Barnard is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
With a ranking of #6, Oberlin College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Oberlin is a small school located in Oberlin, Ohio that handed out 35 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. 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.
Scripps College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking, coming in at #7. Scripps is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 10 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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.
With a ranking of #8, Trinity College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Trinity College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hartford, Connecticut. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees 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 freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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.
Coastline Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Coastline Community College is a medium-sized school located in Fountain Valley, California that handed out 97 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
Houghton College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Houghton College is located in Houghton, New York and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Dickinson College ranked #11 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Dickinson is a private not-for-profit institution located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%. 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Smith College ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Smith is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northampton, Massachusetts. It awarded 21 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Williams College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking, coming in at #13. Williams College is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 15 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Brown University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Brown is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 113 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Middlebury College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Middlebury College is a small school located in Middlebury, Vermont that handed out 20 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.1% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Wellesley College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Wellesley, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 28 students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 0.4% 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%.
Hobart and William Smith Colleges landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. The Colleges is located in Geneva, New York and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 17 ’s area 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 more about Area Studies at Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Furman University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. Located in Greenville, South Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.
Brandeis University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking, coming in at #19. Waltham, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 41 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, 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 91%. 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.
St Olaf College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Carleton College landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Northfield, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 15 students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 0.4% 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%.
Franklin and Marshall College ranked #22 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major list. This small school is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 14 ’s area studies degrees 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%. 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 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.
Amherst College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking, coming in at #23. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 27 students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Davidson College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Davidson, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 12 students 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.
Vassar College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major ranking. Vassar College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Poughkeepsie, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
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 | Gettysburg College | Gettysburg, PA |
| 52 | Colorado College | Colorado Springs, CO |
| 53 | Willamette University | Salem, OR |
| 54 | University of Richmond | University of Richmond, VA |
| 55 | Austin College | Sherman, TX |
| 56 | Princeton University | Princeton, NJ |
| 57 | Hampshire College | Amherst, MA |
| 58 | Yale University | New Haven, CT |
| 59 | Pitzer College | Claremont, CA |
| 59 | Lake Forest College | Lake Forest, IL |
| 61 | Coe College | Cedar Rapids, IA |
| 62 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus | Seattle, WA |
| 63 | Knox College | Galesburg, IL |
| 64 | Wheaton College Massachusetts | Norton, MA |
| 65 | Macalester College | Saint Paul, MN |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | University of Hawaii at Hilo | Hilo, HI |
| 67 | Morehouse College | Atlanta, GA |
| 68 | College of the Holy Cross | Worcester, MA |
| 69 | Lawrence University | Appleton, WI |
| 70 | Bennington College | Bennington, VT |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
