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2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Area Studies in Virginia

11 Ranked Colleges
156 Degrees Awarded
$28,514 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Virginia for a Bachelor's

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Virginia for a Bachelor’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Virginia, there were 177 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,514 and $21,358 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 156 area studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,553 and $27,844 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Virginia for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 11 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in area studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular area studies programs in the United States.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 “Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Virginia for a Bachelor’s” 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 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.

Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Virginia for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for virginia bachelor’s degree area studies students.

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Commonwealth University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Virginia for a Bachelor’s. Richmond, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 Area Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University

2
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William & Mary. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Virginia for a Bachelor’s list. William & Mary is a medium-sized school located in Williamsburg, Virginia that handed out 51 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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 93%.

Read full report on Area Studies at William & Mary

3
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia

Out of the 11 schools in the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Virginia for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Richmond landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in University of Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Area Studies at URichmond

4
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend George Mason University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Virginia for a Bachelor’s. This large school is located in Fairfax, Virginia, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Area Studies at George Mason University

4
Old Dominion crest
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Old Dominion University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Virginia for a Bachelor’s. Located in Norfolk, Virginia, this large public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Area Studies at Old Dominion

6
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

With a ranking of #6, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Virginia for a Bachelor’s list. University of Virginia is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 5 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at University of Virginia - Main Campus

7
Randolph - Macon crest
Randolph - Macon College
Ashland, Virginia

With a ranking of #7, Randolph - Macon College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Virginia for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Ashland, Virginia, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Area Studies at Randolph - Macon

8

Emory and Henry College ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Virginia for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Emory, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s area studies students in 2020-2021.

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 more about Area Studies at Emory and Henry College

8

Washington and Lee University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Virginia for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #8. This small school is located in Lexington, Virginia, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Area Studies at Washington and Lee

10
Mary Baldwin crest
Mary Baldwin University
Staunton, Virginia

Mary Baldwin University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Virginia for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. Mary Baldwin University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Staunton, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Mary Baldwin Area Studies Report

10
Shenandoah crest
Shenandoah University
Winchester, Virginia

Shenandoah University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Area Studies Major in Virginia for a Bachelor’s list. Winchester, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s area studies degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Area Studies at Shenandoah University

Notes and References

References

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