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Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools

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2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools

851 Colleges
$24,682 Avg Salary
$12,147 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree School for You

In 2020-2021, 556,813 degrees and certificates were awarded to liberal arts general studies students, making the major the most popular in the country.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 851 schools in the United States to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools in the United States

The following schools top our list of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Colleges.

Top 25 Top Schools for an Associate in Liberal Arts General Studies

Our 2023 rankings named American Public University System the best school in the United States for liberal arts general studies students working on their associate degree. American Military University is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the fringe town of Charles Town.

The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at American Military University take out while working on their Associate Degree is $10,159.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at American Public University System Report

#2

Brandman University

Irvine, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brandman University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Irvine, Brandman is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

Liberal Arts majors at Brandman take out an average of $18,359 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Brandman University Report

#3

Columbia Southern University

Orange Beach, AL

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Columbia Southern University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools list. Columbia Southern University is a large private for-profit school located in the town of Orange Beach.

After completing their Associate Degree, liberal arts graduates from Columbia Southern University carry an average student debtload of $21,013.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Columbia Southern University Report

#4

Excelsior College

Albany, NY

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Excelsior College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Albany, Excelsior College is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.

On average, liberal arts graduates from Excelsior College take out $13,049 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Excelsior College

#5

National University

La Jolla, CA

Out of the 851 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, National University landed the # 5 spot on the list. National University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of La Jolla.

After completing their Associate Degree, liberal arts graduates from National University carry an average student debtload of $13,456.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at National University

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Flex ranked #6 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the large city of Milwaukee, UWM Flexible Option is a public college with a small student population.

Liberal Arts majors at UWM Flexible Option take out an average of $13,206 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Flex Report

Northwest Iowa Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for liberal arts general studies students to get a associate degree. It came in at #7 on the list. Northwest Iowa Community College is a small public school located in the rural area of Sheldon.

While working on their Associate Degree, liberal arts majors at Northwest Iowa Community College accumulate an average of around $14,875 in student debt.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Northwest Iowa Community College

#8

Columbia College

Columbia, MO

Columbia College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the midsize city of Columbia, Columbia College Missouri is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Columbia College Missouri take out while working on their Associate Degree is $23,597.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Columbia College

University of Maryland Global Campus landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree liberal arts general studies programs. UMGC is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Adelphi.

While working on their Associate Degree, liberal arts majors at UMGC accumulate an average of around $13,959 in student debt.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Maryland Global Campus Report

#10

Anoka-Ramsey Community College

Coon Rapids, MN

Anoka-Ramsey Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools ranking. Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Coon Rapids.

While working on their Associate Degree, liberal arts majors at Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus accumulate an average of around $16,841 in student debt.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Anoka-Ramsey Community College

Mountwest Community and Technical College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools list. MCTC is a small public school located in the suburb of Huntington.

On average, liberal arts graduates from MCTC take out $13,273 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read More…

St Cloud Technical and Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for liberal arts general studies students to get a associate degree. It came in at #12 on the list. Located in the small city of Saint Cloud, St Cloud Technical and Community College is a public school with a small student population.

While working on their Associate Degree, liberal arts majors at St Cloud Technical and Community College accumulate an average of around $16,986 in student debt.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at St Cloud Technical and Community College

Northland Community and Technical College landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree liberal arts general studies programs. Located in the remote town of Thief River Falls, Northland Community and Technical College is a public college with a small student population.

After completing their Associate Degree, liberal arts graduates from Northland Community and Technical College carry an average student debtload of $16,020.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Northland Community and Technical College Report

#14

Johnson County Community College

Overland Park, KS

Johnson County Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools list. JCCC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Overland Park.

After completing their Associate Degree, liberal arts graduates from JCCC carry an average student debtload of $12,689.

Read More…

#15

Central Texas College

Killeen, TX

With a ranking of #15, Central Texas College did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts general studies students working on their associate degree. Located in the midsize suburb of Killeen, Central Texas College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

While working on their Associate Degree, liberal arts majors at Central Texas College accumulate an average of around $11,548 in student debt.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Central Texas College Report

#16

Century College

White Bear Lake, MN

Century College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools ranking. Located in the suburb of White Bear Lake, Century College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Century College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $18,772.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Century College

Rochester Community and Technical College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools list. Rochester Community and Technical College is a small public school located in the city of Rochester.

Liberal Arts majors at Rochester Community and Technical College take out an average of $18,661 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Rochester Community and Technical College

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for liberal arts general studies students to get a associate degree. It came in at #18 on the list. UW Oshkosh is a large public school located in the city of Oshkosh.

On average, liberal arts graduates from UW Oshkosh take out $13,547 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read More…

Florida SouthWestern State College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools ranking. FSW is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Fort Myers.

After completing their Associate Degree, liberal arts graduates from FSW carry an average student debtload of $10,213.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Florida SouthWestern State College

#20

Massachusetts Bay Community College

Wellesley Hills, MA

Massachusetts Bay Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for liberal arts general studies students to get a associate degree. It came in at #20 on the list. MassBay Community College is a small public school located in the suburb of Wellesley Hills.

After completing their Associate Degree, liberal arts graduates from MassBay Community College carry an average student debtload of $10,393.

Read More…

#21

Normandale Community College

Bloomington, MN

With a ranking of #21, Normandale Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts general studies students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Bloomington, Normandale Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

While working on their Associate Degree, liberal arts majors at Normandale Community College accumulate an average of around $16,425 in student debt.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Normandale Community College

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree liberal arts general studies programs. Located in the large city of Milwaukee, UWM is a public college with a very large student population.

While working on their Associate Degree, liberal arts majors at UWM accumulate an average of around $13,206 in student debt.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Macomb Community College landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree liberal arts general studies programs. Macomb Community College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Warren.

After completing their Associate Degree, liberal arts graduates from Macomb Community College carry an average student debtload of $11,404.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Macomb Community College Report

#24

El Centro College

Dallas, TX

El Centro College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for liberal arts general studies students to get a associate degree. It came in at #24 on the list. El Centro College is a very large public school located in the city of Dallas.

The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at El Centro College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $15,908.

Read More…

#25

North Hennepin Community College

Brooklyn Park, MN

North Hennepin Community College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the large suburb of Brooklyn Park, North Hennepin Community College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

After completing their Associate Degree, liberal arts graduates from North Hennepin Community College carry an average student debtload of $19,456.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at North Hennepin Community College

Rest of the Top 50 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools

#28

South Texas College

McAllen, TX
#30

Dakota College at Bottineau

Bottineau, ND
#36

Northern Maine Community College

Presque Isle, ME
#37

Lincoln Land Community College

Springfield, IL
#41

Winona State University

Winona, MN
#42

Bismarck State College

Bismarck, ND
#43

St Petersburg College

Clearwater, FL
#44

Lone Star College System

The Woodlands, TX
#45

Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX
#46

Union University

Jackson, TN
#47

Bellevue College

Bellevue, WA
#48

Inver Hills Community College

Inver Grove Heights, MN

Remaining Award Winners

This list shows the rest of the colleges awarded a Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 851 different United States liberal arts general studies schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage, AK
52 Troy University Troy, AL
53 Vincennes University Vincennes, IN
54 Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Cincinnati, OH
55 Indian River State College Fort Pierce, FL
56 New York University New York, NY
57 Northern Wyoming Community College District Sheridan, WY
58 Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global Marion, IN
59 Thomas Edison State University Trenton, NJ
60 Tarrant County College District Fort Worth, TX
61 Lake Superior College Duluth, MN
62 South Piedmont Community College Polkton, NC
63 Weber State University Ogden, UT
64 Central Lakes College - Brainerd Brainerd, MN
65 Saint Leo University Saint Leo, FL
66 Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City Kansas City, MO
67 Seminole State College of Florida Sanford, FL
68 Daytona State College Daytona Beach, FL
69 Polk State College Winter Haven, FL
70 Grand Rapids Community College Grand Rapids, MI
71 Villanova University Villanova, PA
72 Phoenix College Phoenix, AZ
73 Ridgewater College Willmar, MN
74 City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College Chicago, IL
75 Wake Technical Community College Raleigh, NC
76 South Dakota State University Brookings, SD
77 Xavier University Cincinnati, OH
78 Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY
79 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
80 Moberly Area Community College Moberly, MO
81 Delta College University Center, MI
82 Delaware Technical Community College - Terry Dover, DE
83 Oklahoma City Community College Oklahoma City, OK
84 Northland Pioneer College Holbrook, AZ
85 NHTI-Concord’s Community College Concord, NH
86 Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA
87 University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA
88 Eastern Mennonite University Harrisonburg, VA
89 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
90 Arapahoe Community College Littleton, CO
91 Community College of Vermont Montpelier, VT
92 Midland College Midland, TX
93 University of Louisiana at Monroe Monroe, LA
94 Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen, CA
95 Chesapeake College Wye Mills, MD
96 Eastern Florida State College Cocoa, FL
97 State Fair Community College Sedalia, MO
98 Waubonsee Community College Sugar Grove, IL
99 Anne Arundel Community College Arnold, MD
100 West Valley College Saratoga, CA
101 South Seattle College Seattle, WA
102 Columbia Basin College Pasco, WA
103 Providence College Providence, RI
104 Weatherford College Weatherford, TX
105 University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Green Bay, WI
106 Salt Lake Community College Salt Lake City, UT
107 Cascadia College Bothell, WA
108 Joliet Junior College Joliet, IL
109 Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH
110 Fort Hays State University Hays, KS
111 Indiana Wesleyan University Marion, IN
112 Alamance Community College Graham, NC
113 Lakeland Community College Kirtland, OH
114 Stark State College North Canton, OH
115 Jefferson Community and Technical College Louisville, KY
116 Charter Oak State College New Britain, CT
117 Coastal Alabama Community College Bay Minette, AL
118 Owens Community College Perrysburg, OH
119 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI
120 Hibbing Community College Hibbing, MN
121 University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
122 Leech Lake Tribal College Cass Lake, MN
123 Florence-Darlington Technical College Florence, SC
124 Elgin Community College Elgin, IL
125 Rider University Lawrenceville, NJ
126 Southwestern Illinois College Belleville, IL
126 Madison Area Technical College Madison, WI

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
128 Northwest Florida State College Niceville, FL
129 Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL
129 Georgia State University-Perimeter College Atlanta, GA
131 Valencia College Orlando, FL
132 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
133 Shorter University Rome, GA
134 Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte, NC
135 Maranatha Baptist University Watertown, WI
136 Southeast Community College Area Lincoln, NE
137 Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN
138 Minnesota State Community and Technical College Fergus Falls, MN
139 Northwestern Michigan College Traverse City, MI
140 Shoreline Community College Shoreline, WA
141 Minnesota West Community and Technical College Granite Falls, MN
142 Baker College Owosso, MI
143 NorthWest Arkansas Community College Bentonville, AR
144 San Jose City College San Jose, CA
145 Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga, CA
146 Oregon Coast Community College Newport, OR
147 Schoolcraft College Livonia, MI
148 Volunteer State Community College Gallatin, TN
149 Saint Johns River State College Palatka, FL
150 Highline College Des Moines, WA
151 Oakland Community College Bloomfield Hills, MI
152 Ball State University Muncie, IN
153 University of Mount Olive Mount Olive, NC
154 Community College of Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
155 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
156 McHenry County College Crystal Lake, IL
157 Alexandria Technical & Community College Alexandria, MN
158 San Antonio College San Antonio, TX
159 Prince George’s Community College Largo, MD
160 Great Bay Community College Portsmouth, NH
161 Harrisburg Area Community College Harrisburg, PA
162 Kent State University at Stark Canton, OH
163 Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College Orangeburg, SC
164 The College of the Florida Keys Key West, FL
165 Estrella Mountain Community College Avondale, AZ
166 Chipola College Marianna, FL
167 Palm Beach State College Lake Worth, FL
168 Amarillo College Amarillo, TX
169 Portland Community College Portland, OR
170 Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute Hudson, NC

Liberal Arts General Studies by Region

View the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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