2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region
Finding the Best Liberal Arts General Studies School for You
Liberal Arts General Studies is the most popular major in the United States with 142,446 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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.
The Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 155 schools in the Far Western US Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for liberal arts majors pursuing a .
Top 15% Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Brandman University the best school in the Far Western US Region for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the large city of Irvine, Brandman is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Brandman take out is $21,000.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Brandman University Report
Request Information
Out of the 155 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, National University landed the # 2 spot on the list. 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 $19,094 in student loans while working on their egree.
Request Information
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Loyola Marymount University is a great place for liberal arts general studies students. Loyola Marymount is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
On average, liberal arts graduates from Loyola Marymount take out $18,945 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Loyola Marymount University Report
Request Information
Out of the 155 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public school with a very large student population.
Liberal Arts majors at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo take out an average of $18,000 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $312.
Request Information
Los Angeles Valley College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #6 on the list. LAVC is a large public school located in the large city of Valley Glen.
The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at LAVC take out is $9,409.
Request Information
Bellevue College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in the midsize city of Bellevue, BC is a public college with a large student population.
While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at BC accumulate an average of around $10,020 in student debt.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Bellevue College
Request Information
University of Alaska Anchorage ranked #8 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region list. UAA is a large public school located in the city of Anchorage.
While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at UAA accumulate an average of around $13,125 in student debt.
Request Information
Saint Mary’s College of California ranked #9 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the suburb of Moraga, SMC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from SMC carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Saint Mary’s College of California Report
Request Information
Westmont College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Westmont is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara.
After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from Westmont carry an average student debtload of $22,000.
Request Information
With a ranking of #11, Cuesta College did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts general studies students. Cuesta College is a moderately-sized public school located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Cuesta College Report
Request Information
South Seattle College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. South Seattle is a small public school located in the large city of Seattle.
Request Information
Columbia Basin College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. CBC is a moderately-sized public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Pasco.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Columbia Basin College
Request Information
Seattle University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Seattle U is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Seattle.
While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at Seattle U accumulate an average of around $23,166 in student debt.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Seattle University
Request Information
Cascadia College landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts general studies programs. Cascadia College is a small public school located in the suburb of Bothell.
After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from Cascadia College carry an average student debtload of $6,849.
Request Information
West Valley College landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts general studies programs. Located in the large suburb of Saratoga, West Valley College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at West Valley College
Request Information
With a ranking of #17, East Los Angeles College did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts general studies students. East Los Angeles College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Monterey Park.
On average, liberal arts graduates from East Los Angeles College take out $7,627 in student loans while working on their degree.
Request Information
University of Alaska Fairbanks ranked #18 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the small suburb of Fairbanks, UAF is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Liberal Arts majors at UAF take out an average of $18,500 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Alaska Fairbanks Report
Request Information
Thomas Aquinas College landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts general studies programs. TAC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Santa Paula.
On average, liberal arts graduates from TAC take out $18,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Thomas Aquinas College
Request Information
With a ranking of #20, Shoreline Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the large suburb of Shoreline, Shoreline Community College is a public college with a small student population.
Liberal Arts majors at Shoreline Community College take out an average of $8,250 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Shoreline Community College Report
Request Information
Washington State University landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts general studies programs. Located in the town of Pullman, Wazzu is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Wazzu take out is $25,115. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $233, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Washington State University
Request Information
Whitworth University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Whitworth is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Spokane.
The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Whitworth take out is $36,582.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Whitworth University
Request Information
Oregon Coast Community College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the rural area of Newport, Oregon Coast Community College is a public school with a small student population.
On average, liberal arts graduates from Oregon Coast Community College take out $16,323 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Oregon Coast Community College
Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Liberal Arts General Studies students in the Far Western US Region that almost earned our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | Highline College | Des Moines, WA |
| 25 | Chaffey College | Rancho Cucamonga, CA |
| 26 | Los Angeles City College | Los Angeles, CA |
| 27 | Cerritos College | Norwalk, CA |
| 28 | Sonoma State University | Rohnert Park, CA |
| 29 | Portland Community College | Portland, OR |
| 30 | Merced College | Merced, CA |
| 31 | Eastern Oregon University | La Grande, OR |
Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges by State
Explore the best liberal arts general studies schools for a specific state in the Far Western US region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| California | 52,773 |
| Washington | 17,408 |
| Oregon | 8,599 |
| Nevada | 1,679 |
| Hawaii | 2,024 |
| Alaska | 417 |
More Liberal Arts General Studies Rankings in the Far Western US Region
Rankings in Majors Related to Liberal Arts
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.