2023 Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in the Southwest Region
Finding the Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities School for You
In 2020-2021, 556,813 liberal arts / sciences and humanities students received a degree or certificate, making the major the #3 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're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
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 the Southwest Region ranking. This report analyzed 121 schools in the Southwest Region to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Southwest 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 2023 rankings named The University of Texas at Austin the best school in the Southwest Region for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public school with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from UT Austin carry an average student debtload of $21,375. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $377.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Central Texas College is a great place for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Killeen, Central Texas College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities majors at Central Texas College take out an average of $7,126 in student loans while working on their egree.
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The excellent programs at El Centro College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools in the Southwest Region . El Centro College is a very large public school located in the city of Dallas.
The average amount in student loans that liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at El Centro College take out is $11,286.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Collin County Community College District. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of McKinney, Collin County Community College District is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Collin County Community College District carry an average student debtload of $10,000.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of St. Thomas is a great place for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Located in the city of Houston, UST is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
After completing their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from UST carry an average student debtload of $25,000.
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Wayland Baptist University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. Located in the remote town of Plainview, Wayland Baptist University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
After completing their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Wayland Baptist University carry an average student debtload of $22,834.
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With a ranking of #7, Southern Methodist University did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Located in the suburb of Dallas, SMU is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.
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South Texas College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. South Texas College is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of McAllen.
The average amount in student loans that liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at South Texas College take out is $5,500.
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Arizona State University - Skysong came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in the midsize city of Scottsdale, ASU - Skysong is a public school with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at ASU - Skysong take out is $29,500. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $240.
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Austin Community College District ranked #10 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in the Southwest Region list. Austin Community College District is a fairly large public school located in the city of Austin.
While working on their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at Austin Community College District accumulate an average of around $15,529 in student debt.
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Mesa Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Mesa Community College is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Mesa.
The average amount in student loans that liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at Mesa Community College take out is $13,875.
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Texas A & M University - Central Texas did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. It came in at #12 on the list. Located in the rural area of Killeen, Texas A & M University - Central Texas is a public college with a small student population.
While working on their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at Texas A & M University - Central Texas accumulate an average of around $23,228 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #13, Chandler-Gilbert Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Located in the large city of Chandler, Chandler-Gilbert Community College is a public college with a large student population.
The average amount in student loans that liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at Chandler-Gilbert Community College take out is $9,100.
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Lone Star College System came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of The Woodlands, North Harris Montgomery is a public school with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at North Harris Montgomery accumulate an average of around $10,313 in student debt.
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McLennan 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 #15 on the list. Located in the midsize city of Waco, MCC is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at MCC take out is $13,505.
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With a ranking of #16, Tarrant County College District did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Located in the city of Fort Worth, Tarrant County College is a public college with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Tarrant County College carry an average student debtload of $10,722.
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Sam Houston State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the town of Huntsville, SHSU is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities majors at SHSU take out an average of $31,329 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Phoenix 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. Located in the large city of Phoenix, Phoenix College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at Phoenix College take out is $9,000.
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Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Liberal Arts & Humanities students in the Southwest Region that almost earned our Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in the Southwest Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | University of Oklahoma Norman Campus | Norman, OK |
| 20 | Oklahoma City Community College | Oklahoma City, OK |
| 21 | Northland Pioneer College | Holbrook, AZ |
| 22 | Midland College | Midland, TX |
| 23 | University of Central Oklahoma | Edmond, OK |
| 24 | Weatherford College | Weatherford, TX |
Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Colleges by State
Explore the best liberal arts / sciences and humanities colleges for a specific state in the Southwest region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Arizona | 8,087 |
| Texas | 55,869 |
| New Mexico | 3,989 |
| Oklahoma | 3,298 |
More Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Rankings in the Southwest Region
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 |
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.