2023 Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
Finding the Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities School for You
With 556,813 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, liberal arts / sciences and humanities is the #3 most popular major in the United States.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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.
The Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 155 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
Check out the liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 15% Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools
Our analysis found Excelsior College to be the best school for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students who want to pursue a degree in the Middle Atlantic Region . Excelsior College is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Albany.
On average, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Excelsior College take out $10,134 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 Georgetown University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at Georgetown accumulate an average of around $23,250 in student debt.
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The excellent programs at University of Maryland Global Campus helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools in the Middle Atlantic Region . Located in the suburb of Adelphi, UMGC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
On average, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from UMGC take out $15,681 in student loans while working on their degree.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Johns Hopkins University is a great place for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Located in the large city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
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The excellent programs at Drexel University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools in the Middle Atlantic Region . Located in the city of Philadelphia, Drexel is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
On average, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Drexel take out $29,666 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Thomas Edison State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. TESU is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Trenton.
After completing their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from TESU carry an average student debtload of $15,974.
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The King’s College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in the large city of New York, TKC is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
On average, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from TKC take out $22,625 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $379.
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Saint Joseph’s University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. St. Joe's is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia.
While working on their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at St. Joe's accumulate an average of around $42,974 in student debt.
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Union College New York landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. Union College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Schenectady.
After completing their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Union College carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
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Rider University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Rider is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lawrenceville.
The average amount in student loans that liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at Rider take out is $31,375.
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With a ranking of #11, Baltimore City Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Located in the large city of Baltimore, Baltimore City Community College is a public school with a small student population.
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities majors at Baltimore City Community College take out an average of $7,112 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Stony Brook University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. SUNY Stony Brook is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Stony Brook.
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University of Pennsylvania came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia.
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Villanova University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Villanova is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Villanova.
The average amount in student loans that liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at Villanova take out is $23,250.
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With a ranking of #15, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Pitt is a very large public school located in the large city of Pittsburgh.
While working on their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at Pitt accumulate an average of around $28,750 in student debt.
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Morgan State University landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. Located in the large city of Baltimore, Morgan State is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
While working on their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at Morgan State accumulate an average of around $31,625 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $359.
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With a ranking of #17, Rochester Institute of Technology did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. RIT is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Rochester.
After completing their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from RIT carry an average student debtload of $29,000. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $557.
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Chesapeake College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. It came in at #18 on the list. Chesapeake College is a small public school located in the rural area of Wye Mills.
After completing their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Chesapeake College carry an average student debtload of $5,500.
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Rutgers University - Camden did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. It came in at #19 on the list. Located in the city of Camden, Rutgers Camden is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities majors at Rutgers Camden take out an average of $25,250 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $250.
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With a ranking of #20, Delaware Technical Community College - Terry did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Delaware Tech is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Dover.
After completing their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Delaware Tech carry an average student debtload of $9,500.
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New York University landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. NYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities majors at NYU take out an average of $22,000 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $961, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #22, Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. FDU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Teaneck.
After completing their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from FDU carry an average student debtload of $18,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $179, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Anne Arundel Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. It came in at #23 on the list. AACC is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Arnold.
On average, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from AACC take out $9,250 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Anne Arundel Community College
Request InformationHonorable Mentions
Here are some additional great schools for Liberal Arts & Humanities students in the Middle Atlantic Region that almost earned our Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | College of Southern Maryland | La Plata, MD |
| 25 | Stockton University | Galloway, NJ |
| 26 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania | West Chester, PA |
| 27 | University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown | Johnstown, PA |
| 28 | Hobart and William Smith Colleges | Geneva, NY |
| 29 | Community College of Baltimore County | Baltimore, MD |
| 30 | Prince George’s Community College | Largo, MD |
| 31 | Harrisburg Area Community College | Harrisburg, PA |
Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Colleges by State
Explore the best liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | 9,619 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,589 |
| New York | 19,150 |
| Maryland | 9,515 |
| Delaware | 649 |
| District of Columbia | 145 |
More Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Rankings in the Middle Atlantic Region
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Related Rankings by Major
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts General Studies | 556,813 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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.