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Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in California

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2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in California

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

Finding the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree School for You

Liberal Arts General Studies is one of the most popular subjects to study in California. With 52,773 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 2nd out of all the majors we track in the state.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

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 in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 47 schools in California to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California

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

Top 10 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools

#1

National University

La Jolla, CA

Our analysis found National University to be the best school for liberal arts general studies students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in California. National University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of La Jolla.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts graduates from National University carry an average student debtload of $27,975.

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#2

Brandman University

Irvine, CA

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Brandman University is a great place for liberal arts general studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the large city of Irvine, Brandman is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts graduates from Brandman carry an average student debtload of $29,737.

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#3

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Loyola Marymount University is a great place for liberal arts general studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Loyola Marymount is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.

The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Loyola Marymount take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $18,202.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Loyola Marymount University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public school with a fairly large student population.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo carry an average student debtload of $17,363. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $312.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Report

Saint Mary’s College of California 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 #6 on the list. Located in the suburb of Moraga, SMC is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Liberal Arts majors at SMC take out an average of $26,680 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Saint Mary’s College of California Report

#7

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, CA

Westmont College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Westmont is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Westmont College Report

#8

Thomas Aquinas College

Santa Paula, CA

Thomas Aquinas College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. TAC is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Santa Paula.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Thomas Aquinas College

#9

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA

Sonoma State 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 #9 on the list. Located in the suburb of Rohnert Park, SSU is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at SSU take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $20,393. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $246.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Sonoma State University Report

Azusa Pacific 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 #10 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Azusa, Azusa Pacific is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Azusa Pacific take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $30,161. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $161, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 17,408
Oregon 8,599
Nevada 1,679
Hawaii 2,024
Alaska 417

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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