2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Liberal Arts General Studies 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 Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 1,148 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best value experiences for liberal arts students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
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2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges.
Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality in Liberal Arts General Studies
Our analysis found Haskell Indian Nations University to be the best value school for liberal arts general studies students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. Haskell is a fairly small public school located in the small city of Lawrence.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Haskell Indian Nations University Report
Out of the 1,148 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, New Mexico Junior College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the remote town of Hobbs, New Mexico Junior College is a public college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at New Mexico Junior College are $2,280 per year. Liberal Arts majors at New Mexico Junior College take out an average of $6,495 in student loans while working on their egree.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southeast Community College Area. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools list. Southeast Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the large city of Lincoln.
Southeast Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $3,780 in tuition and fees each year. Liberal Arts majors at Southeast Community College take out an average of $11,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Southeast Community College Area Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend American Public University System. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools list. American Military University is a very large private for-profit school located in the fringe town of Charles Town.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at American Military University are $7,360 a year. After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from American Military University carry an average student debtload of $5,688.
American Military University also claimed a spot on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
Out of the 1,148 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Highland Community College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the rural area of Highland, Highland Community College is a public school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Highland Community College are $3,570 per year. Liberal Arts majors at Highland Community College take out an average of $11,728 in student loans while working on their egree.
Columbia Southern University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools list. Columbia Southern University is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the town of Orange Beach.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Columbia Southern University are $5,775 a year. On average, liberal arts graduates from Columbia Southern University take out $15,714 in student loans while working on their degree.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Columbia Southern University also did well on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Columbia Southern University Report
Leech Lake Tribal College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the rural area of Cass Lake, Leech Lake Tribal College is a public school with a fairly small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Leech Lake Tribal College are $3,926 a year.
Metropolitan Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools ranking. MCC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Omaha.
MCC undergraduate students pay an average of $4,680 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from MCC carry an average student debtload of $9,053.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Metropolitan Community College
With a ranking of #9, North Hennepin Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the large suburb of Brooklyn Park, North Hennepin Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at North Hennepin Community College are $4,882 per year. On average, liberal arts graduates from North Hennepin Community College take out $15,625 in student loans while working on their degree.
North Hennepin Community College also claimed a spot on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at North Hennepin Community College Report
Anoka-Ramsey Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools ranking. Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Coon Rapids.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus are $5,515 a year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus take out is $13,000.
In addition to its great value ranking, Anoka-Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids Campus is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools list.
Johnson County Community College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools list. JCCC is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Overland Park.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at JCCC are $5,352 per year. While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at JCCC accumulate an average of around $10,000 in student debt.
JCCC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools list.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Johnson County Community College Report
Collin County Community College District ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools list. Located in the midsize suburb of McKinney, Collin County Community College District is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Collin County Community College District are $5,104 per year. On average, liberal arts graduates from Collin County Community College District take out $10,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Collin County Community College District also is in the top 15% of our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools ranking.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Collin County Community College District Report
Rochester Community and Technical College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools list. Rochester Community and Technical College is a small public school located in the midsize city of Rochester.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Rochester Community and Technical College are $5,372 per year. While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at Rochester Community and Technical College accumulate an average of around $15,500 in student debt.
In addition to its great value ranking, Rochester Community and Technical College is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools list.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Rochester Community and Technical College
St Cloud Technical and Community College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools ranking. Located in the small city of Saint Cloud, St Cloud Technical and Community College is a public school with a small student population.
St Cloud Technical and Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,874 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at St Cloud Technical and Community College accumulate an average of around $14,250 in student debt.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, St Cloud Technical and Community College also is in the top 15% of our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools ranking.
With a ranking of #15, New Mexico State University - Carlsbad did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the rural area of Carlsbad, NMSU Carlsbad is a public college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at NMSU Carlsbad are $4,008 a year. On average, liberal arts graduates from NMSU Carlsbad take out $11,832 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at New Mexico State University - Carlsbad
NorthWest Arkansas Community College landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value liberal arts general studies programs. NWACC is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Bentonville.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NWACC are $4,456 per year. Liberal Arts majors at NWACC take out an average of $9,407 in student loans while working on their egree.
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Flex came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools ranking. Located in the city of Milwaukee, UWM Flexible Option is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UWM Flexible Option are $6,750 a year. On average, liberal arts graduates from UWM Flexible Option take out $11,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
With a ranking of #17, Normandale Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the small city of Bloomington, Normandale Community College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Normandale Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,789 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Normandale Community College take out is $12,620.
Normandale Community College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools list.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Normandale Community College Report
Cascadia College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools list. Cascadia College is a small public school located in the large suburb of Bothell.
Cascadia College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,768 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from Cascadia College carry an average student debtload of $6,849.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Cascadia College Report
South Seattle College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #19 on the list. South Seattle is a small public school located in the city of Seattle.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at South Seattle are $4,831 per year.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at South Seattle College Report
With a ranking of #21, Northland Community and Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the town of Thief River Falls, Northland Community and Technical College is a public college with a small student population.
Northland Community and Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,052 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Northland Community and Technical College take out is $13,200.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Northland Community and Technical College Report
Garden City Community College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools ranking. Located in the town of Garden City, Garden City Community College is a public school with a small student population.
Garden City Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,020 in tuition and fees each year. Liberal Arts majors at Garden City Community College take out an average of $6,476 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Garden City Community College Report
Century College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #23 on the list. Located in the large suburb of White Bear Lake, Century College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Century College are $5,907 a year. On average, liberal arts graduates from Century College take out $14,376 in student loans while working on their degree.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Century College also did well on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Century College
Central Community College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools ranking. Located in the city of Grand Island, Central Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Central Community College are $4,590 per year. On average, liberal arts graduates from Central Community College take out $8,466 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Central Community College Report
Cloud County Community College landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value liberal arts general studies programs. Cloud County Community College is a small public school located in the rural area of Concordia.
Cloud County Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $3,570 in tuition and fees each year. On average, liberal arts graduates from Cloud County Community College take out $10,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Cloud County Community College
Rest of the Top 50 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools
Remaining Award Winners
This list shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 1148 different United States liberal arts general studies schools we analyzed.
Additional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools award.
Liberal Arts General Studies by Region
View the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools for a specific region near you.
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| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Liberal Arts General Studies Rankings
Liberal Arts General Studies Related Majors for Liberal Arts
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- 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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