2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in California
Finding the Best Liberal Arts General Studies 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 85 schools in California to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges.
Top 15% Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Brandman University the best school in California for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the city of Irvine, Brandman is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
Liberal Arts majors at Brandman take out an average of $21,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend National University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in California list. National University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of La Jolla.
After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from National University carry an average student debtload of $19,094.
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Out of the 85 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Loyola Marymount University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Loyola Marymount is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at Loyola Marymount accumulate an average of around $18,945 in student debt.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo carry an average student debtload of $18,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $312.
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Los Angeles Valley College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts general studies programs. LAVC is a large public school located in the city of Valley Glen.
Liberal Arts majors at LAVC take out an average of $9,409 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Los Angeles Valley College Report
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Saint Mary’s College of California did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the suburb of Moraga, SMC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
On average, liberal arts graduates from SMC take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #8, Westmont College did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts general studies students. Westmont is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara.
On average, liberal arts graduates from Westmont take out $22,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #9, Cuesta College did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts general studies students. Cuesta College is a medium-sized public school located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.
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With a ranking of #10, West Valley College did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the large suburb of Saratoga, West Valley College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at West Valley College
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East Los Angeles College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in California list. East Los Angeles College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Monterey Park.
While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at East Los Angeles College accumulate an average of around $7,627 in student debt.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at East Los Angeles College
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Thomas Aquinas College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in California list. TAC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Santa Paula.
While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at TAC accumulate an average of around $18,000 in student debt.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Thomas Aquinas College Report
Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Liberal Arts General Studies students in the state of California that almost earned our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in California award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Chaffey College | Rancho Cucamonga, CA |
| 14 | Los Angeles City College | Los Angeles, CA |
| 15 | Cerritos College | Norwalk, CA |
| 16 | Sonoma State University | Rohnert Park, CA |
| 17 | Merced College | Merced, CA |
Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools 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 |
More Liberal Arts General Studies Rankings in California
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.
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