2023 Best Area Studies Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region
21
Ranked Colleges
1,234
Degrees Awarded
$34,400
Avg Cost*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans 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 “Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies” ranking.
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 “Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered a degree in area studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent area studies programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the area studies program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies” list to help you make the college decision.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies
The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region vets studying area studies.
Top 21 Best Area Studies Colleges for Veterans in the Far Western US Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 192 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 48,149 students enrolled at University of Washington - Seattle Campus, 1,283 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 769 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,190. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read More…
Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 103 students in 2020-2021.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 44,589 students enrolled at UCLA, 7 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,071. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Hawaii at Manoa. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies list. This fairly large school is located in Honolulu, Hawaii, and it awarded 35 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UH Manoa also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 18,025 students enrolled at University of Hawaii at Manoa, 3 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $22,153. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Hawaii at Manoa offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 University of Hawaii at Manoa Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.
UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 39,576 students enrolled at UCSD, 112 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 54 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,596. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 94%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UCSD]](/colleges/university-of-california-san-diego/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Diego State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies list. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 13 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region vets studying area studies list, SDSU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 36,334 students enrolled at SDSU, 1,433 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 853 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,806. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full SDSU Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #6, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 48 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 822 of the 40,069 students enrolled at CSULB were GI Bill® students, of which 310 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,845. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full CSULB Veteran Student Life Report
Stanford University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies ranking. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 43 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Stanford University supports 15,953 students, and 188 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 118 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $18,909. To help with additional expenses, 61 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 86%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Stanford]](/colleges/stanford-university/student-life/veterans/)
University of California - Irvine landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 35 degrees to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 8 of the 36,303 students enrolled at University of California - Irvine were GI Bill® students, of which 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,620. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 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…
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 38 diplomas to qualified ’s area studies students in 2020-2021.
UCSB also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 286 of the 26,179 students enrolled at University of California - Santa Barbara were GI Bill® students, of which 128 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,510. In addition to receiving other benefits, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of California - Santa Barbara offers credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of California - Santa Barbara]](/colleges/university-of-california-santa-barbara/student-life/veterans/)
University of California - Davis landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies ranking. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 35 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 39,074 students enrolled at UC Davis, 31 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,489. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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.
Read More…
University of San Francisco did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies ranking, coming in at #11. USFCA is a fairly large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 31 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
USFCA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 10,068 students enrolled at University of San Francisco, 6 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,232. To help with additional expenses, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full USFCA Veteran Student Life Report
Western Washington University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies list. Western Washington University is a fairly large public school situated in Bellingham, Washington. It awarded 12 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WWU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Western Washington University supports 15,197 students, and 622 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 324 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,933. On top of their other funding sources, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Western Washington University Veteran Student Life Report
University of California - Riverside came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies 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.
UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 11 of the 26,434 students enrolled at University of California - Riverside were GI Bill® students, of which 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,182. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of California - Riverside does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read More…
California State University - Fullerton landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 59 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 42,051 students enrolled at Cal State Fullerton, 748 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 342 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,729. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at California State University - Fullerton]](/colleges/california-state-university-fullerton/student-life/veterans/)
University of Oregon ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies list. This large school is located in Eugene, Oregon, and it awarded 25 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region vets studying area studies list, UO has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, UO supports 21,752 students, and 582 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 314 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,688. In addition to receiving other benefits, 25 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Oregon]](/colleges/university-of-oregon/student-life/veterans/)
California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies ranking, coming in at #16. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s area studies degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.
Chico State also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 354 of the 16,746 students enrolled at Chico State were GI Bill® students, of which 166 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,098. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Chico State Veteran Student Life Report
University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies ranking, coming in at #17. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 5 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 19,161 students enrolled at University of California - Santa Cruz, 273 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 114 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,631. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UC Santa Cruz]](/colleges/university-of-california-santa-cruz/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #18, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies list. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s area studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our far western us region vets studying area studies list, CSUN has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 40,381 students enrolled at California State University - Northridge, 680 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 336 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,745. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Northridge Veteran Student Life Report
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies ranking, coming in at #19. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, California State University - Sacramento supports 32,293 students, and 34 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 23 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,555. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. California State University - Sacramento does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Sac State Veteran Student Life Report
Azusa Pacific University ranked #20 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Far Western US Region for Area Studies list. This medium-sized school is located in Azusa, California, and it awarded 5 ’s area studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Azusa Pacific did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Azusa Pacific University supports 9,006 students, and 58 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 44 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,529. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Azusa Pacific]](/colleges/azusa-pacific-university/student-life/veterans/)
college factual
