2023 Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in Virginia
Finding the Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities School for You
Out of the majors we analyze each year, liberal arts / sciences and humanities was ranked 4th in Virginia. In fact, 9,302 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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 Virginia ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 32 schools in Virginia to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Virginia
The colleges and universities below are the best for liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors pursuing a .
Top 10 Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools
Our analysis found Eastern Mennonite University to be the best school for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students who want to pursue a degree in Virginia. Eastern Mennonite is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Harrisonburg.
On average, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Eastern Mennonite take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Virginia Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in Virginia list. Located in the large suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at Northern Virginia Community College take out is $11,000.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bridgewater College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in Virginia list. Located in the small suburb of Bridgewater, Bridgewater is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Bridgewater carry an average student debtload of $24,440.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend James Madison University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in Virginia list. Located in the city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities majors at JMU take out an average of $23,243 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $416.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Shenandoah University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in Virginia list. Shenandoah is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Winchester.
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University of Mary Washington landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. UMW is a small public school located in the suburb of Fredericksburg.
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities majors at UMW take out an average of $22,552 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $398.
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George Mason University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. It came in at #7 on the list. GMU is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax.
The average amount in student loans that liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at GMU take out is $25,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $376.
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Tidewater Community College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. Located in the midsize city of Norfolk, Tidewater Community College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at Tidewater Community College accumulate an average of around $12,577 in student debt.
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Mary Baldwin University 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. Mary Baldwin is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Staunton.
On average, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Mary Baldwin take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #10, Germanna Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Located in the rural area of Locust Grove, Germanna Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities majors at Germanna Community College take out an average of $9,285 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Request InformationBest Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Colleges in the Southeast Region
Explore all the Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| North Carolina | 18,234 |
| West Virginia | 3,558 |
| Mississippi | 5,696 |
| South Carolina | 4,243 |
| Florida | 64,444 |
| Arkansas | 5,205 |
| Alabama | 5,890 |
| Kentucky | 6,493 |
| Georgia | 7,724 |
| Tennessee | 10,186 |
| Louisiana | 2,864 |
More Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Rankings in Virginia
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.