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2023 Most Focused Colleges for African American Studies

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Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2021-2022, 1,044 people earned their degree in african american studies, making the major the 389th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major” ranking looked at 214 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in african american studies. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their african american studies program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank African American Studies Schools

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The african american 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 African American Studies Major”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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.

Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for african american studies students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for African American Studies

1
Hampshire crest
Hampshire College
Amherst, Massachusetts

Out of the 214 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Hampshire College landed the #1 spot on the list. Hampshire is a small school located in Amherst, Massachusetts that handed out 2 ’s african american studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on African American Studies at Hampshire College

2
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Bard College at Simon's Rock
Great Barrington, Massachusetts

Out of the 214 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Bard College at Simon’s Rock landed the #2 spot on the list. Bard College at Simon’s Rock is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It awarded 0 ’s african american studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 0.6% 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%.

Full Bard College at Simon’s Rock African American Studies Report

3
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts

Out of the 214 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Wellesley College landed the #3 spot on the list. Wellesley is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, 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 97%.

Read full report on African American Studies at Wellesley College

4
Amherst crest
Amherst College
Amherst, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Amherst College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major. Amherst College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Amherst, Massachusetts. It awarded 11 ’s african american studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about African American Studies at Amherst

5
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Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Swarthmore College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major list. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s african american studies degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, 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 8 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 95%.

Read more about African American Studies at Swarthmore College

6
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University of Puget Sound
Tacoma, Washington

With a ranking of #6, University of Puget Sound did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major list. This small school is located in Tacoma, Washington, and it awarded 8 ’s african american 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. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Puget Sound African American Studies Report

7
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Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. Lake Forest is located in Lake Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6 ’s african american studies degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about African American Studies at Lake Forest

8
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Howard University
Washington, District of Columbia

Howard University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking, coming in at #8. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s african american studies degrees to 7 students in 2021-2022.

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 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 African American Studies at Howard University

9
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Berea College
Berea, Kentucky

Berea College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking, coming in at #9. This small school is located in Berea, Kentucky, and it awarded 4 ’s african american 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.

Full Berea African American Studies Report

10
Wesleyan U crest
Wesleyan University
Middletown, Connecticut

Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking, coming in at #10. Wesleyan University is located in Middletown, Connecticut and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 9 ’s african american studies degrees to qualified students.

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. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on African American Studies at Wesleyan University

11
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Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking, coming in at #11. Oberlin, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s african american studies degrees to 9 students in 2021-2022.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Read more about African American Studies at Oberlin

12
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Pitzer College
Claremont, California

Pitzer College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 1 ’s african american studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.

Full Pitzer African American Studies Report

13
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Claflin University
Orangeburg, South Carolina

Claflin University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. Claflin is a small school located in Orangeburg, South Carolina that handed out 2 ’s african american studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about African American Studies at Claflin

14
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Denison University
Granville, Ohio

With a ranking of #14, Denison University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major list. Denison is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Granville, Ohio. It awarded 14 ’s african american 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 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about African American Studies at Denison University

15
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. Princeton, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s african american studies degrees to 10 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Princeton African American Studies Report

16

The College of Wooster ranked #16 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major list. This small school is located in Wooster, Ohio, and it awarded 2 ’s african american 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%.

Full Wooster College African American Studies Report

17
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Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. Knox College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 3 ’s african american studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Knox African American Studies Report

18

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 34 diplomas to qualified ’s african american studies students in 2021-2022.

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

Read full report on African American Studies at UCLA

19
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. Yale University is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 29 ’s 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, 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 98%.

Read full report on African American Studies at Yale University

20
Bates crest
Bates College
Lewiston, Maine

Bates College ranked #20 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major list. Bates College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lewiston, Maine. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Full Bates African American Studies Report

21
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

Pomona College landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified ’s african american studies students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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.

Full Pomona College African American Studies Report

22
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York

Lehman College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking, coming in at #22. Lehman College is located in Bronx, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 11 ’s african american studies degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on African American Studies at Lehman

23
Brandeis crest
Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts

Brandeis University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 8 degrees to qualified ’s african american studies students in 2021-2022.

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 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%. 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.

Read more about African American Studies at Brandeis University

24
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Smith College
Northampton, Massachusetts

Smith College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. Smith College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northampton, Massachusetts. It awarded 4 ’s african american studies degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Smith African American Studies Report

25
Wheaton College Massachusetts crest
Wheaton College Massachusetts
Norton, Massachusetts

Wheaton College Massachusetts landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major ranking. Wheaton College Massachusetts is a small school located in Norton, Massachusetts that handed out 0 ’s african american 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%.

Read full report on African American Studies at Wheaton College Massachusetts

Rest of the Best 33 in Schools Highly Focused on African American Studies Major

Not only did these schools make the top 33 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
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Earlham College
Richmond, IN
29
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SUNY New Paltz
New Paltz, NY
30
31
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33

Notes and References

References

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