Ranking
Best Area Studies Colleges in California 2026
51 California colleges offering Area Studies, ranked by EduGradify value grade.
- Schools ranked
- 25
- Cheapest net price
- $1,115
- Top earnings 10y
- $124,080
- Public / Private
- 24 / 1
Imperial Valley College
A+- ROI score
- 77.33
- Net price
- $1,115
- Earnings 10y
- $34,487
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Irvine Valley College
A+- ROI score
- 58.80
- Net price
- $2,090
- Earnings 10y
- $49,156
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
California State University-Los Angeles
A+- ROI score
- 37.31
- Net price
- $3,967
- Earnings 10y
- $59,211
- Acceptance
- 91.3%
College of the Canyons
A+- ROI score
- 33.11
- Net price
- $3,702
- Earnings 10y
- $49,022
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Saddleback College
A+- ROI score
- 30.63
- Net price
- $4,152
- Earnings 10y
- $50,874
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Pasadena City College
A+- ROI score
- 28.43
- Net price
- $3,864
- Earnings 10y
- $43,937
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
California State University-Fullerton
A+- ROI score
- 24.01
- Net price
- $6,555
- Earnings 10y
- $62,951
- Acceptance
- 90.5%
Las Positas College
A+- ROI score
- 23.75
- Net price
- $5,377
- Earnings 10y
- $51,088
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Stanford University
A+- ROI score
- 22.47
- Net price
- $13,807
- Earnings 10y
- $124,080
- Acceptance
- 3.6%
Golden West College
A+- ROI score
- 22.36
- Net price
- $4,824
- Earnings 10y
- $43,145
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
California State University-Northridge
A+- ROI score
- 21.05
- Net price
- $7,021
- Earnings 10y
- $59,115
- Acceptance
- 93.5%
Moreno Valley College
A+- ROI score
- 20.10
- Net price
- $6,483
- Earnings 10y
- $52,133
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Grossmont College
A+- ROI score
- 18.97
- Net price
- $5,311
- Earnings 10y
- $40,309
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
California State University-Sacramento
A+- ROI score
- 17.37
- Net price
- $9,338
- Earnings 10y
- $64,876
- Acceptance
- 94%
University of California-Berkeley
A+- ROI score
- 17.14
- Net price
- $13,481
- Earnings 10y
- $92,446
- Acceptance
- 11%
University of California-San Diego
A+- ROI score
- 17.03
- Net price
- $12,470
- Earnings 10y
- $84,943
- Acceptance
- 26.7%
California State University-Dominguez Hills
A+- ROI score
- 16.59
- Net price
- $8,615
- Earnings 10y
- $57,162
- Acceptance
- 93.3%
University of California-Los Angeles
A+- ROI score
- 16.44
- Net price
- $12,548
- Earnings 10y
- $82,511
- Acceptance
- 9%
Sacramento City College
A- ROI score
- 15.96
- Net price
- $6,614
- Earnings 10y
- $42,214
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
California State University-Long Beach
A- ROI score
- 15.42
- Net price
- $10,440
- Earnings 10y
- $64,403
- Acceptance
- 46.3%
University of California-Irvine
A- ROI score
- 14.16
- Net price
- $14,251
- Earnings 10y
- $80,735
- Acceptance
- 28.6%
San Francisco State University
A- ROI score
- 13.86
- Net price
- $12,278
- Earnings 10y
- $68,077
- Acceptance
- 96.4%
University of California-Davis
A- ROI score
- 13.71
- Net price
- $14,741
- Earnings 10y
- $80,838
- Acceptance
- 41.8%
American River College
A- ROI score
- 12.55
- Net price
- $7,999
- Earnings 10y
- $40,162
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Riverside City College
A- ROI score
- 12.26
- Net price
- $8,377
- Earnings 10y
- $41,091
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
How we picked this list
This list starts with California schools with positive Area Studies program-share evidence, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 24.03 (24 public, 1 private).
Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. See our full methodology for the formulas.
FAQ
Who leads this ranking?
Imperial Valley College in Imperial, CA tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.
How does EduGradify pick this list?
We rank this set by roi score using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.
How many California colleges are in this list?
51 California colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.
What does net price mean here?
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.