2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Alabama
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Liberal Arts General Studies School for You
In 2020-2021, liberal arts general studies students earned 5,890 degrees and certificates from an Alabama school, making the subject the 3rd in the state.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right 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.
The Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Alabama ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 26 schools in Alabama to see which ones offered the best value programs for liberal arts students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
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.
Top 10 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Columbia Southern University the best value school in Alabama for liberal arts general studies students. Columbia Southern University is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the fringe town of Orange Beach.
Columbia Southern University undergraduate students pay an average of $5,775 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at Columbia Southern University accumulate an average of around $15,714 in student debt.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Columbia Southern University is ranked #1 for overall quality for liberal arts in Alabama.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Columbia Southern University Report
Request Information
The excellent programs at Coastal Alabama Community College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best liberal arts general studies schools in Alabama. Located in the town of Bay Minette, Coastal Alabama Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Coastal Alabama Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,860 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from Coastal Alabama Community College carry an average student debtload of $9,607.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Coastal Alabama Community College Report
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Wallace Community College, Dothan. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Alabama list. Located in the city of Dothan, Wallace, Dothan is a public school with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Wallace, Dothan are $4,800 per year. On average, liberal arts graduates from Wallace, Dothan take out $6,200 in student loans while working on their degree.
In addition to its great value ranking, Wallace, Dothan is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Alabama list.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Wallace Community College, Dothan
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Southern Union State Community College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Alabama list. Southern Union State Community College is a small public school located in the rural area of Wadley.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Southern Union State Community College are $4,860 a year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Southern Union State Community College take out is $10,485.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Southern Union State Community College Report
Request Information
The excellent programs at John C Calhoun State Community College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best liberal arts general studies schools in Alabama. Calhoun Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Tanner.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Calhoun Community College are $4,940 per year. On average, liberal arts graduates from Calhoun Community College take out $12,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at John C Calhoun State Community College Report
Request Information
With a ranking of #6, Northwest-Shoals Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. NW-SCC is a small public school located in the city of Muscle Shoals.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at NW-SCC are $4,831 a year. After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from NW-SCC carry an average student debtload of $9,225.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Northwest-Shoals Community College Report
Request Information
Shelton State Community College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value liberal arts general studies programs. Located in the city of Tuscaloosa, Shelton State Community College is a public school with a small student population.
Shelton State Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,587 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, liberal arts majors at Shelton State Community College accumulate an average of around $5,500 in student debt.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Shelton State Community College Report
Request Information
Lawson State Community College - Birmingham Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Alabama ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Birmingham, LSCC - Birmingham Campus is a public college with a small student population.
LSCC - Birmingham Campus undergraduate students pay an average of $4,860 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, liberal arts graduates from LSCC - Birmingham Campus take out $9,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
Request Information
Bishop State Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Alabama ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Mobile, Bishop State Community College is a public college with a small student population.
Bishop State Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,860 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, liberal arts graduates from Bishop State Community College take out $7,264 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Bishop State Community College Report
Request Information
Wallace Community College, Selma did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #10 on the list. WCCS is a small public school located in the town of Selma.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at WCCS are $4,560 a year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at WCCS take out is $8,750.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Wallace Community College, Selma Report
Request InformationBest Value Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region
Explore all the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Georgia | 7,724 |
| Virginia | 9,302 |
| North Carolina | 18,234 |
| Florida | 64,444 |
| Tennessee | 10,186 |
| Kentucky | 6,493 |
| South Carolina | 4,243 |
| Louisiana | 2,864 |
| Arkansas | 5,205 |
| Mississippi | 5,696 |
| West Virginia | 3,558 |
More Liberal Arts General Studies Rankings in Alabama
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.