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 for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2021-2022, 9,323 people earned their degree in ethnic studies, making the major the 99th most popular in the United States. In , ethnic studies graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $30,818 and had an average of $21,141 in loans still to pay off.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,442 ethnic studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,724 and $23,030 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major” ranking looked at 454 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in ethnic studies. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their ethnic studies program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. 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 following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major”.
Out of the 454 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Haskell Indian Nations University landed the #1 spot on the list. Haskell Indian Nations University is a small public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 24 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2021-2022.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major list. NHSC is a public institution located in New Town, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Ethnic Studies at Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Oglala Lakota College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major. Located in Kyle, South Dakota, this small public school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ethnic studies students in 2021-2022.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hampshire College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major list. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees to 5 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.
Out of the 454 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development landed the #5 spot on the list. Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development is a small school located in Santa Fe, New Mexico that handed out 3 bachelors’s ethnic 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.
With a ranking of #6, Bacone College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major list. Bacone College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Muskogee, Oklahoma. It awarded 0 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2021-2022.
Wheaton College Massachusetts landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major ranking. Located in Norton, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ethnic studies students in 2021-2022.
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%.
Piedmont International University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major ranking. Piedmont International University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It awarded 4 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Ethnic Studies at Piedmont International University
Gallaudet University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major ranking. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees to 19 students 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Wellesley College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major ranking, coming in at #10. This small school is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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. 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%.
Pomona College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major ranking. Pomona College is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.
Colorado College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major ranking. This small school is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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 96%. 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.
Spelman College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major ranking. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ethnic studies students 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Agnes Scott College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major ranking. Agnes Scott College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Georgia. It awarded 6 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Northwest Indian College ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major list. Northwest Indian College is a small school located in Bellingham, Washington that handed out 7 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2021-2022.
Pitzer College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major ranking, coming in at #16. Pitzer is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 6 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, 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.
St Olaf College ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major list. This small school is located in Northfield, Minnesota, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
With a ranking of #18, Smith College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major list. This small school is located in Northampton, Massachusetts, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s ethnic 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 121 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ethnic studies students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Ethnic Studies at University of California - Santa Cruz
Wells College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major ranking. This small school is located in Aurora, New York, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s ethnic 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 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Wesleyan University ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major list. This small school is located in Middletown, Connecticut, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. 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.
Lawrence University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major ranking, coming in at #23. Lawrence U is a small school located in Appleton, Wisconsin that handed out 3 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Grinnell College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major list. This small school is located in Grinnell, Iowa, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s ethnic studies degrees in 2021-2022.
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 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ethnic Studies Major ranking, coming in at #25. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 248 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
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 | Cottey College | Nevada, MO |
| 52 | San Francisco State University | San Francisco, CA |
| 53 | Barnard College | New York, NY |
| 54 | Hollins University | Roanoke, VA |
| 55 | University of Hawaii at Manoa | Honolulu, HI |
| 56 | Dartmouth College | Hanover, NH |
| 57 | The College of Wooster | Wooster, OH |
| 58 | Hobart and William Smith Colleges | Geneva, NY |
| 59 | Willamette University | Salem, OR |
| 60 | Hanover College | Hanover, IN |
| 61 | Seattle Pacific University | Seattle, WA |
| 62 | California State University - Sacramento | Sacramento, CA |
| 63 | Gettysburg College | Gettysburg, PA |
| 64 | Gustavus Adolphus College | Saint Peter, MN |
| 65 | Lake Forest College | Lake Forest, IL |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Howard University | Washington, DC |
| 67 | Williams College | Williamstown, MA |
| 68 | Berea College | Berea, KY |
| 69 | University of Washington - Tacoma Campus | Tacoma, WA |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies