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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 2023 rankings named American Public University System the best value school in the United States for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the fringe town of Charles Town, American Military University is a private for-profit school with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at American Military University are $7,360 a year.

In addition to its great value ranking, American Military University is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools list.

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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 distant town of Rexburg.

BYU - I undergraduate students pay an average of $4,416 in tuition and fees each year.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Thomas Edison State University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. TESU is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Trenton.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at TESU are $9,342 per year.

TESU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked 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

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Columbia College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools in the United States. Columbia College Missouri is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Columbia.

Columbia College Missouri undergraduate students pay an average of $11,636 in tuition and fees each year.

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#5

Excelsior College

Albany, NY

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Excelsior College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Excelsior College is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Albany.

Excelsior College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked 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 ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. BYU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Provo.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at BYU are $6,120 a 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 medium-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.

Brandman 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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#8

National University

La Jolla, CA

National University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the large city of La Jolla, National University is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at National University are $13,320 per 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 ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the large 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.

Charter Oak State College 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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Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. ASU - Skysong is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Scottsdale.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ASU - Skysong are $13,092 per year.

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

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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.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WIU are $13,297 a year.

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

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at ENMU - Main Campus are $8,568 a 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.

IWU undergraduate students pay an average of $9,239 in tuition and fees each 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.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at South Dakota State are $12,809 per year.

South Dakota State 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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#15

Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, MN

Metropolitan State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Metro State is a moderately-sized public school located in the large city of Saint Paul.

Metro State undergraduate students pay an average of $9,394 in tuition and fees each year.

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West Texas A&M University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. West Texas A&M University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Canyon.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at West Texas A&M University are $11,208 per 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 distant town of Owosso, Baker College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Baker College undergraduate students pay an average of $12,420 in tuition and fees each year.

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University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. Located in the small city of Oshkosh, UW Oshkosh is a public school with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW Oshkosh are $15,306 a year.

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Minot State University 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 #20 on the list. 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

Wilmington University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the 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.

In addition to its great value ranking, Wilmington University is 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 ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the small suburb of Parkersburg, West Virginia University at Parkersburg is a public school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at West Virginia University at Parkersburg are $8,642 per 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.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at FHSU are $15,870 per 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 fairly large public school located in the 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 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 #25 on the 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 list represents the rest of the colleges 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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