by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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.
Across the Southwest region, there were 836 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,908 and $21,438 respectively.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region” ranking looked at 25 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in area studies. That schools that top this list have a program in area studies in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
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 Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region”.
Out of the 25 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary landed the #1 spot on the list. Fort Worth, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 540 students in 2021-2022.
Read full report on Area Studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Austin College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region list. This small school is located in Sherman, Texas, and it awarded 3 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southwestern University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region list. This small school is located in Georgetown, Texas, and it awarded 6 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Trinity University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region list. This small school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 5 ’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 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of New Mexico - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a public institution located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Arizona landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school handed out 81 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students 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%.
With a ranking of #7, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region list. UT Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 91 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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 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%.
Read full report on Area Studies at The University of Texas at Austin
Rice University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Rice University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 13 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Northeastern State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #9. Northeastern State University is a medium-sized school located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma that handed out 7 ’s area 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%.
New Mexico Highlands University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #10. Las Vegas, New Mexico is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 0 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Northwestern Oklahoma State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Northwestern Oklahoma State University is a small public school situated in Alva, Oklahoma. It awarded 1 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Northwestern Oklahoma State University
Southern Methodist University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Southern Methodist University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dallas, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 ’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.
Baylor University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Waco, Texas, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.
The University of Texas at El Paso landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking. The University of Texas at El Paso is a public institution located in El Paso, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad 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 The University of Texas at El Paso
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region list. OSU is a large school located in Stillwater, Oklahoma that handed out 2 ’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%.
Read more about Area Studies at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus
Texas Christian University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #16. This fairly large school is located in Fort Worth, Texas, and it awarded 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Area Studies at Texas Christian University
Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #17 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region list. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 25 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #18, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region list. This large school is located in Norman, Oklahoma, and it awarded 1 ’s area 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read more about Area Studies at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus
University of Houston did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #19. University of Houston is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
The University of Texas at San Antonio landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking. UTSA is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a large 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 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full The University of Texas at San Antonio Area Studies Report
With a ranking of #21, The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region list. Richardson, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Area Studies at The University of Texas at Dallas
Central New Mexico Community College ranked #22 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region list. This fairly large school is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and it awarded 1 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of North Texas did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #23. University of North Texas is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 3 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
University of Dallas did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #24. University of Dallas is a private not-for-profit institution located in Irving, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Dallas Baptist University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Area Studies Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #24. DBU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 0 ’s area studies degrees in 2021-2022.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies