2023 Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in California
Finding the Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities School for You
In 2020-2021, liberal arts / sciences and humanities students earned 52,773 degrees and certificates from a California school, making the subject the 3rd in the state.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Liberal Arts & Humanities 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 / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California
The colleges and universities below are the best for liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors pursuing a .
Top 15% Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Brandman University the best school in California for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Located in the city of Irvine, Brandman is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
After completing their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Brandman carry an average student debtload of $21,000.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Brandman University Report
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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 & Humanities Schools in California list. National University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of La Jolla.
While working on their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at National University accumulate an average of around $19,094 in student debt.
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The excellent programs at Loyola Marymount University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools in California. Loyola Marymount is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
On average, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Loyola Marymount take out $18,945 in student loans while working on their degree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public school with a fairly large student population.
On average, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo take out $18,000 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $312, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Los Angeles Valley College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in California ranking. LAVC is a large public school located in the city of Valley Glen.
While working on their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at LAVC accumulate an average of around $9,409 in student debt.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Los Angeles Valley College Report
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With a ranking of #7, Saint Mary’s College of California did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Located in the large suburb of Moraga, SMC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities majors at SMC take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Saint Mary’s College of California Report
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Westmont College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in California list. Westmont is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara.
On average, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Westmont take out $22,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Cuesta College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. It came in at #9 on the list. Cuesta College is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo.
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West Valley College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in California ranking. Located in the large suburb of Saratoga, West Valley College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
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East Los Angeles College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities 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.
On average, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from East Los Angeles College take out $7,627 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at East Los Angeles College
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With a ranking of #12, Thomas Aquinas College did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. TAC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Santa Paula.
After completing their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from TAC carry an average student debtload of $18,000.
Request InformationAdditional 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 Liberal Arts & Humanities 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 / Sciences & Humanities Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 17,408 |
| Oregon | 8,599 |
| Hawaii | 2,024 |
| Nevada | 1,679 |
| Alaska | 417 |
More Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Rankings in California
Rankings in Majors Related to Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts General Studies | 556,813 |
Majors Similar to Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Visual & Performing Arts | 149,215 |
| English Language & Literature | 54,635 |
| Foreign Languages & Linguistics | 33,333 |
| Theology & Religious Vocations | 27,459 |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | 19,993 |
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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Jacques Sablet (Switzerland, Morges, 1749-1803).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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