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Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools

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2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools

429 Colleges
$32,881 Avg Salary
$27,591 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's 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.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 429 schools in the United States to see which bachelor's 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 Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the United States

Check out the liberal arts bachelor's degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 25 Top Schools for a Bachelor's in Liberal Arts General Studies

Our 2023 rankings named Massachusetts Institute of Technology the best school in the United States for liberal arts general studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. MIT is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Cambridge.

Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $663.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology Report

Out of the 429 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, American Public University System landed the # 2 spot on the list. American Military University is a very large private for-profit school located in the town of Charles Town.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts majors at American Military University accumulate an average of around $9,438 in student debt.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at American Public University System Report

#3

Excelsior College

Albany, NY

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Excelsior College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the small city of Albany, Excelsior College is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts graduates from Excelsior College carry an average student debtload of $17,489.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Excelsior College

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Carolina State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Raleigh, NC State is a public college with a very large student population.

Liberal Arts majors at NC State take out an average of $27,161 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at North Carolina State University

#5

Bentley University

Waltham, MA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Bentley University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the small city of Waltham, Bentley is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

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#6

Georgetown University

Washington, DC

Georgetown University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Georgetown is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Washington.

The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Georgetown take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $25,848.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Georgetown University Report

#7

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Northwestern University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for liberal arts general studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

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#8

National University

La Jolla, CA

National University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree liberal arts general studies programs. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of La Jolla.

Liberal Arts majors at National University take out an average of $27,975 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at National University Report

#9

Brandman University

Irvine, CA

Brandman University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s 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 $29,737 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

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The University of Texas at Austin came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public college with a very large student population.

When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $377.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at The University of Texas at Austin Report

#11

Columbia College

Columbia, MO

Columbia College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for liberal arts general studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #11 on the list. Located in the midsize city of Columbia, Columbia College Missouri is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts graduates from Columbia College Missouri carry an average student debtload of $31,039.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Columbia College

#12

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

University of Notre Dame ranked #12 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

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#13

Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA

Drexel University landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree liberal arts general studies programs. Drexel is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia.

Liberal Arts majors at Drexel take out an average of $30,804 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Drexel University Report

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Liberal Arts majors at Mizzou take out an average of $24,124 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $278, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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With a ranking of #15, Thomas Edison State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts general studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the small city of Trenton, TESU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at TESU take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $23,069.

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#16

DePaul University

Chicago, IL

DePaul University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for liberal arts general studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #16 on the list. Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts graduates from DePaul carry an average student debtload of $38,833.

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Southern Methodist University landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree liberal arts general studies programs. Located in the large suburb of Dallas, SMU is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Southern Methodist University Report

#18

Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX

Wayland Baptist University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the remote town of Plainview, Wayland Baptist University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

On average, liberal arts graduates from Wayland Baptist University take out $23,175 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Read More…

#19

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

University of Chicago came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Chicago

#20

The King's College

New York, NY

The King’s College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. TKC is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.

Liberal Arts majors at TKC take out an average of $21,780 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $379.

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#21

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA

Loyola Marymount University landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree liberal arts general studies programs. Loyola Marymount is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts majors at Loyola Marymount accumulate an average of around $18,202 in student debt.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Loyola Marymount University Report

#22

Saint Joseph's University

Philadelphia, PA

Saint Joseph’s University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, St. Joe's is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts majors at St. Joe's accumulate an average of around $39,243 in student debt.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Saint Joseph’s University

#23

Rider University

Lawrenceville, NJ

Rider University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for liberal arts general studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #23 on the list. Located in the suburb of Lawrenceville, Rider is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts majors at Rider accumulate an average of around $30,662 in student debt.

Read More…

#24

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS

University of Kansas landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree liberal arts general studies programs. KU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Lawrence.

Liberal Arts majors at KU take out an average of $26,916 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $287, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

#25

Union College New York

Schenectady, NY

With a ranking of #25, Union College New York did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts general studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the small city of Schenectady, Union College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Union College New York Report

Rest of the Top Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools

#27

University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL
#29

University of St. Thomas

Houston, TX
#34

Champlain College

Burlington, VT
#37

University of Mary

Bismarck, ND
#38

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA
#39

Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg, VA
#40

Xavier University

Cincinnati, OH
#41

Villanova University

Villanova, PA
#42

William Jewell College

Liberty, MO
#44

Wesleyan University

Middletown, CT
#45

Charter Oak State College

New Britain, CT
#48

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, VA

Remaining Award Winners

This section shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 429 different United States liberal arts general studies schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Morgan State University Baltimore, MD
52 Belmont University Nashville, TN
53 Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX
54 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
55 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI
56 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
57 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
58 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA
59 West Liberty University West Liberty, WV
60 Saint Mary’s College of California Moraga, CA
61 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
62 Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA
63 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
64 Simpson College Indianola, IA

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Liberal Arts General Studies students that almost earned our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
65 Troy University Troy, AL
66 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE
67 Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH
68 Rutgers University - Camden Camden, NJ
69 University of Missouri - Kansas City Kansas City, MO
70 New York University New York, NY
71 Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus Teaneck, NJ
72 Ball State University Muncie, IN
73 University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO
74 Iowa State University Ames, IA
75 University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK
76 Baker College Owosso, MI
77 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
78 Shenandoah University Winchester, VA
79 Providence College Providence, RI
80 Seattle University Seattle, WA
81 Stockton University Galloway, NJ
82 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
83 Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN
84 University of Southern Indiana Evansville, IN
85 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX

Liberal Arts General Studies by Region

View the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's 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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