2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools ranking. This report analyzed 184 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value undergraduate certificate 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 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality for an Award Taking 1 to 4 Years in Liberal Arts General Studies
Our analysis found Delgado Community College to be the best value school for liberal arts general studies students who want to pursue a undergraduate certificate in the United States. Delgado Community College is a large public school located in the city of New Orleans.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Delgado Community College are $4,079 a year. After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, liberal arts graduates from Delgado Community College carry an average student debtload of $24,845.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools list. Located in the rural area of De Queen, UA Cossatot is a public college with a small student population.
UA Cossatot undergraduate students pay an average of $4,410 in tuition and fees each year.
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Out of the 184 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, NorthWest Arkansas Community College landed the # 2 spot on the list. NWACC is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Bentonville.
NWACC undergraduate students pay an average of $4,456 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at NWACC take out while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $14,399.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Arkansas State University - Newport is a great value for liberal arts general studies students working on their undergraduate certificate. ASUN is a small public school located in the rural area of Newport.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ASUN are $4,320 per year.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Louisiana Delta Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools list. LDCC is a small public school located in the rural area of Monroe.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at LDCC are $4,159 per year.
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Arkansas Northeastern College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools ranking. Located in the rural area of Blytheville, Arkansas Northeastern College is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Arkansas Northeastern College are $4,138 a year.
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Central Arizona College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools ranking. Pinal County Community College is a small public school located in the rural area of Coolidge.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Pinal County Community College are $5,160 per year. After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, liberal arts graduates from Pinal County Community College carry an average student debtload of $15,267.
Pinal County Community College also claimed a spot on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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Grayson College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools list. Grayson College is a small public school located in the rural area of Denison.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Grayson College are $5,482 a year.
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With a ranking of #9, Baton Rouge Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts general studies students working on their undergraduate certificate. BRCC is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Baton Rouge.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BRCC are $4,221 per year.
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College of Western Idaho did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for liberal arts general studies students to get a undergraduate certificate. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the rural area of Nampa, CWI is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CWI are $7,344 per year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at CWI take out while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $13,002.
CWI excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools list.
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South Louisiana Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for liberal arts general studies students to get a undergraduate certificate. It came in at #11 on the list. South Louisiana Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize city of Lafayette.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at South Louisiana Community College are $4,205 a year.
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Arkansas State University Mid-South came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools ranking. Located in the suburb of West Memphis, ASU Mid-South is a public college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at ASU Mid-South are $4,234 a year. After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, liberal arts graduates from ASU Mid-South carry an average student debtload of $7,450.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Arkansas State University Mid-South Report
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With a ranking of #13, Arkansas State University - Beebe did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts general studies students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the town of Beebe, ASU-Beebe is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at ASU-Beebe are $4,656 a year.
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With a ranking of #14, University of Arkansas Community College - Morrilton did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts general studies students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the distant town of Morrilton, UACCM is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UACCM are $4,128 a year.
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With a ranking of #15, East Arkansas Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts general studies students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the distant town of Forrest City, East Arkansas Community College is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at East Arkansas Community College are $3,720 a year. After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, liberal arts graduates from East Arkansas Community College carry an average student debtload of $8,140.
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With a ranking of #16, New Mexico State University - Grants did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts general studies students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the remote town of Grants, NMSU Grants is a public school with a fairly small student population.
NMSU Grants undergraduate students pay an average of $4,104 in tuition and fees each year.
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Dakota College at Bottineau came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools ranking. Located in the remote area of Bottineau, MSU-Bottineau is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at MSU-Bottineau are $7,351 a year.
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Los Angeles Valley College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools ranking. LAVC is a large public school located in the city of Valley Glen.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at LAVC are $9,012 per year. On average, liberal arts graduates from LAVC take out $11,749 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.
LAVC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools list.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Los Angeles Valley College Report
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New Mexico State University - Carlsbad landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate liberal arts general studies programs. Located in the rural area of Carlsbad, NMSU Carlsbad is a public school 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.
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Washtenaw Community College landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate liberal arts general studies programs. Located in the large suburb of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Washtenaw Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,856 in tuition and fees each year.
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Merced College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools ranking. Merced Community College District is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Merced.
Merced Community College District undergraduate students pay an average of $7,444 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their Undergraduate Certificate, liberal arts majors at Merced Community College District accumulate an average of around $10,074 in student debt.
Merced Community College District also claimed a spot on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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South Arkansas Community College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools ranking. Located in the remote town of El Dorado, SouthArk is a public school with a small student population.
SouthArk undergraduate students pay an average of $4,812 in tuition and fees each year.
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Cuesta College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools ranking. Cuesta College is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo.
Cuesta College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,702 in tuition and fees each year.
In addition to its great value ranking, Cuesta College is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools list.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Cuesta College Report
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College of Southern Maryland came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools ranking. CSM is a medium-sized public school located in the rural area of La Plata.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSM are $9,030 per year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at CSM take out while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $13,797.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, CSM also did well on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Liberal Arts General Studies at College of Southern Maryland Report
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Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate liberal arts general studies programs. Located in the large city of Kansas City, MCC is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MCC are $9,210 per year. On average, liberal arts graduates from MCC take out $12,382 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, MCC also is in the top 5% of our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools ranking.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City
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Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great value schools for Liberal Arts General Studies students seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | East Los Angeles College | Monterey Park, CA |
| 29 | Black Hawk College | Moline, IL |
| 30 | Cochise County Community College District | Sierra Vista, AZ |
| 30 | University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College | North Little Rock, AR |
| 30 | Ivy Tech Community College | Indianapolis, IN |
| 33 | New Mexico State University - Dona Ana | Las Cruces, NM |
| 34 | Vernon College | Vernon, TX |
| 35 | Los Angeles Harbor College | Wilmington, CA |
| 36 | Los Angeles City College | Los Angeles, CA |
Liberal Arts General Studies by Region
View the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Undergraduate Certificate Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| 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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