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Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor's Degree Schools

2023 Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor's Degree Schools

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

429 Colleges
$11,317 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$32,881 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor's Degree 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. 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 Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 429 schools in the United States to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best value experiences for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

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. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality for a Bachelor's in Liberal Arts & Humanities

Our analysis found American Public University System to be the best value school for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the United States. Located in the fringe town of Charles Town, American Military University is a private for-profit school with a very large student population.

American Military University undergraduate students pay an average of $7,360 in tuition and fees each year.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, American Military University also did well on our Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

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Out of the 429 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the # 2 spot on the list. BYU - I is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the town of Rexburg.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BYU - I are $4,416 per year.

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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Thomas Edison State University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools in the United States. TESU is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Trenton.

TESU undergraduate students pay an average of $9,342 in tuition and fees each year.

In addition to its great value ranking, TESU is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.

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#4

Columbia College

Columbia, MO

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Columbia College is a great value for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students working on their bachelor’s degree. Columbia College Missouri is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Columbia.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Columbia College Missouri are $11,636 per year.

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#5

Excelsior College

Albany, NY

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Excelsior College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools in the United States. Excelsior College is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Albany.

In addition to its great value ranking, Excelsior College is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.

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Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. BYU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Provo.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BYU are $6,120 per year.

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#7

Brandman University

Irvine, CA

Brandman University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Brandman is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Irvine.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Brandman are $12,480 a year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Brandman also is in the top 10% of our Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking.

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#8

National University

La Jolla, CA

National University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. Located in the large city of La Jolla, National University is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at National University are $13,320 a year.

National University excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.

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#9

Charter Oak State College

New Britain, CT

Charter Oak State College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. Located in the suburb of New Britain, Charter Oak State College is a public college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Charter Oak State College are $10,654 a year.

In addition to its great value ranking, Charter Oak State College is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.

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Arizona State University - Skysong ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. ASU - Skysong is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Scottsdale.

ASU - Skysong undergraduate students pay an average of $13,092 in tuition and fees each year.

ASU - Skysong excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.

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Western Illinois University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. WIU is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Macomb.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WIU are $13,297 per year.

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Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. ENMU - Main Campus is a small public school located in the remote town of Portales.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ENMU - Main Campus are $8,568 per year.

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With a ranking of #13, Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students working on their bachelor’s degree. IWU is a large private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Marion.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at IWU are $9,239 a year.

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South Dakota State University landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. South Dakota State is a large public school located in the remote town of Brookings.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at South Dakota State are $12,809 a year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, South Dakota State also is in the top 15% of our Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking.

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#15

Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, MN

Metropolitan State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Metro State is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of Saint Paul.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Metro State are $9,394 per year.

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With a ranking of #17, West Texas A&M University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students working on their bachelor’s degree. West Texas A&M University is a moderately-sized public school located in the fringe town of Canyon.

West Texas A&M University undergraduate students pay an average of $11,208 in tuition and fees each year.

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#18

Baker College

Owosso, MI

Baker College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the town of Owosso, Baker College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Baker College are $12,420 a year.

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University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #19 on the list. Located in the city of Oshkosh, UW Oshkosh is a public college with a large student population.

UW Oshkosh undergraduate students pay an average of $15,306 in tuition and fees each year.

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With a ranking of #20, Minot State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students working on their bachelor’s degree. MSU is a small public school located in the remote town of Minot.

MSU undergraduate students pay an average of $8,163 in tuition and fees each year.

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#21

Wilmington University

New Castle, DE

With a ranking of #21, Wilmington University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the large suburb of New Castle, Wilmington University is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Wilmington University are $11,760 per year.

Wilmington University excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.

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West Virginia University at Parkersburg did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #22 on the list. Located in the small suburb of Parkersburg, West Virginia University at Parkersburg is a public college with a small student population.

West Virginia University at Parkersburg undergraduate students pay an average of $8,642 in tuition and fees each year.

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Fort Hays State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. FHSU is a large public school located in the town of Hays.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at FHSU are $15,870 a year.

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#24

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, ND

University of North Dakota landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. UND is a large public school located in the small city of Grand Forks.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UND are $15,037 a year.

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Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico - Arecibo ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the suburb of Arecibo, Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico - Arecibo is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico - Arecibo are $5,443 per year.

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Rest of the Top Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor's Degree Schools

#33

West Liberty University

West Liberty, WV
#34

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, OH
#35

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL
#36

Mayville State University

Mayville, ND
#37

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, MO
#39

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, MO
#40

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN
#41

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI
#42

Maria College of Albany

Albany, NY
#44

Morgan State University

Baltimore, MD
#46

William Jewell College

Liberty, MO
#47

Athens State University

Athens, AL

Additional Award Winners

This section represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 429 different United States liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
52 Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX
52 Southeastern Oklahoma State University Durant, OK
54 Wayland Baptist University Plainview, TX
55 University of Mary Bismarck, ND
56 Troy University Troy, AL
56 Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Mansfield, PA
58 Union University Jackson, TN
59 Henderson State University Arkadelphia, AR
60 Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR
60 University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA
62 Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale, IL
62 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
64 Miami University - Hamilton Hamilton, OH

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
65 University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney, NE
66 Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA
67 University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK
68 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
69 Purdue University Northwest Hammond, IN
70 Emporia State University Emporia, KS
70 University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH
72 Wichita State University Wichita, KS
73 University of Wisconsin - Platteville Platteville, WI
74 The City College of New York New York, NY
75 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
76 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
76 Antioch University - Midwest Yellow Springs, OH
76 Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN
79 McNeese State University Lake Charles, LA
80 University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS
80 Arkansas State University - Main Campus Jonesboro, AR
82 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE
83 University of Minnesota - Morris Morris, MN
84 Morehead State University Morehead, KY
85 University of Maine at Augusta Augusta, ME

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities by Region

View the Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Liberal Arts General Studies 556,813

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.

  • 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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