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.
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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 analysis found Brandman University to be the best school for liberal arts general studies students who want to pursue a degree in California. Located in the large 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.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend National University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s 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.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at National University Report
The excellent programs at Loyola Marymount University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best liberal arts general studies schools in California. Loyola Marymount is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large 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.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Loyola Marymount University Report
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a great place for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public school with a very 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.
Los Angeles Valley College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in California list. LAVC is a fairly 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
Saint Mary’s College of California came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in California ranking. 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.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Saint Mary’s College of California Report
Westmont College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts general studies programs. 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.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Westmont College Report
Cuesta College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in California list. Cuesta College is a medium-sized public school located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.
West Valley College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in California list. Located in the large suburb of Saratoga, West Valley College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
East Los Angeles College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #11 on the list. East Los Angeles College is a very large public school located in the large 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.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at East Los Angeles College Report
Thomas Aquinas College landed the #12 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.
While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at TAC accumulate an average of around $18,000 in student debt.
Additional 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 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 |
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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