2023 Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in California
Finding the Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities School for You
In 2020-2021, liberal arts / sciences and humanities students earned 52,773 degrees and certificates from a California school, making the subject the 3rd in the state.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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 Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 200 schools in California to see which ones were the most popular programs for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities program at each school on the list.
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2023 Most Popular Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Colleges.
Top 25 Most Popular California Schools in Liberal Arts & Humanities
Our 2023 rankings named Santa Monica College the most popular school in California for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. SMC is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Santa Monica.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Santa Monica College
The excellent programs at Golden West College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools in California. Located in the suburb of Huntington Beach, Golden West College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
On average, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Golden West College take out $8,708 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Golden West College
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Bakersfield College is a great place for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Located in the large city of Bakersfield, Bakersfield College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Bakersfield College
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Saddleback College is a great place for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Saddleback College is a large public school located in the suburb of Mission Viejo.
The excellent programs at Moorpark College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools in California. Moorpark College is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Moorpark.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Moorpark College Report
Irvine Valley College ranked #6 on this year’s Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in California list. Irvine Valley College is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Irvine.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Irvine Valley College Report
With a ranking of #7, Pasadena City College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Pasadena City College is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Pasadena.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Pasadena City College Report
Cuesta College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in California ranking. Cuesta College is a medium-sized public school located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Cuesta College Report
Santa Barbara City College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in California ranking. SBCC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Santa Barbara.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Santa Barbara City College Report
With a ranking of #10, Orange Coast College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Orange Coast College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Costa Mesa.
On average, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Orange Coast College take out $8,900 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Orange Coast College Report
East Los Angeles College landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. East Los Angeles College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Monterey Park.
On average, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from East Los Angeles College take out $7,627 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at East Los Angeles College Report
Allan Hancock College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. Allan Hancock College is a medium-sized public school located in the medium-sized city of Santa Maria.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Allan Hancock College
Chaffey College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in California ranking. Chaffey College is a large public school located in the large suburb of Rancho Cucamonga.
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities majors at Chaffey College take out an average of $7,784 in student loans while working on their egree.
Los Angeles Harbor College ranked #14 on this year’s Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in California list. LAHC is a moderately-sized public school located in the large city of Wilmington.
On average, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from LAHC take out $6,413 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Los Angeles Harbor College
Santa Ana College landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. Located in the large city of Santa Ana, SAC is a public college with a very large student population.
While working on their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at SAC accumulate an average of around $7,043 in student debt.
Los Angeles Pierce College ranked #16 on this year’s Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in California list. Pierce College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Woodland Hills.
After completing their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Pierce College carry an average student debt load of $9,625.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Los Angeles Pierce College
With a ranking of #17, Ventura College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Located in the city of Ventura, Ventura College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at Ventura College take out is $9,000.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Ventura College Report
With a ranking of #18, MiraCosta College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. MiraCosta College is a large public school located in the large suburb of Oceanside.
Riverside City College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. It came in at #19 on the list. Located in the large city of Riverside, Riverside City College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at Riverside City College accumulate an average of around $9,338 in student debt.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Riverside City College
Cerritos College landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. Cerritos College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Norwalk.
After completing their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Cerritos College carry an average student debt load of $10,781.
Grossmont College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in California ranking. Located in the large suburb of El Cajon, Grossmont College is a public college with a large student population.
College of the Canyons ranked #22 on this year’s Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of Santa Clarita, College of the Canyons is a public school with a large student population.
The average amount in student loans that liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at College of the Canyons take out is $7,372.
Rio Hondo College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in California ranking. Located in the large suburb of Whittier, RHCCD is a public college with a large student population.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Rio Hondo College
Long Beach City College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. It came in at #24 on the list. Long Beach City College is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Long Beach.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Long Beach City College
Los Angeles Valley College landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. LAVC is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Valley Glen.
While working on their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at LAVC accumulate an average of around $9,409 in student debt.
Rest of the Top Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in California
Additional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also popular but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in California award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Los Angeles City College | Los Angeles, CA |
| 32 | Mt. San Jacinto College | San Jacinto, CA |
| 33 | Los Angeles Southwest College | Los Angeles, CA |
| 34 | Santa Rosa Junior College | Santa Rosa, CA |
| 35 | West Los Angeles College | Culver City, CA |
| 36 | Norco College | Norco, CA |
| 37 | San Joaquin Delta College | Stockton, CA |
| 38 | Imperial Valley College | Imperial, CA |
| 39 | Los Angeles Mission College | Sylmar, CA |
| 40 | Los Medanos College | Pittsburg, CA |
Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Most Popular Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 17,408 |
| Oregon | 8,599 |
| Hawaii | 2,024 |
| Nevada | 1,679 |
| Alaska | 417 |
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Related Majors
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.
- 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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