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2023 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

824 Ranked Colleges
366,996 Degrees Awarded
$3,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Liberal Arts is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 2nd of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 366,996 degrees were awarded to students with this major.

For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 824 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent liberal arts programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the liberal arts program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts Schools

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The liberal studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $0-$30k)

1
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s liberal studies degrees to 39 students in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins also took the #1 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,084 for liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Johns Hopkins University Liberal Arts Report

2
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University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 29 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn also took the #3 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $580 for Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at University of Pennsylvania

3
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 824 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 19 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,500 for Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at University of Chicago

4
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Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Georgetown University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s liberal studies degrees to 50 students in 2020-2021.

Georgetown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Georgetown University is $3,077 for Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Georgetown University

5
Wesleyan U crest
Wesleyan University
Middletown, Connecticut

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wesleyan University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Middletown, Connecticut, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 31 degrees to qualified ’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.

Wesleyan U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Wesleyan University is $4,782 for Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Wesleyan U

6

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USF Tampa is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 453 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

USF Tampa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” list. It costs about $4,176 for liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USF Tampa.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at University of South Florida - Main Campus

7

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 46 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $3,753 for Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

8
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. NC State is a large school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 27 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

NC State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NC State is $7,283 for liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at NC State

9

Central New Mexico Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CNM is a fairly large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 2,357 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, CNM is also in the top of our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Central New Mexico Community College is $1,994 for Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts at CNM

10
Golden West College crest
Golden West College
Huntington Beach, California

Golden West College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Huntington Beach, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal studies degrees to 3,237 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Golden West College is also in the top of our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Golden West College is $3,094 for Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Golden West College

11

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 225 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,752 for liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Indiana University - Bloomington

12
Oakland Community College crest
Oakland Community College
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Oakland Community College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oakland Community College is located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 410 ’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, Oakland Community College is in the top on our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $1,464 for Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oakland Community College.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Oakland Community College

13

City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal studies degrees to 1,448 students in 2020-2021.

Harold Washington College excels when it comes to liberal studies quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College is $2,045 for Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts at City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College

14

With a ranking of #14, Suffolk County Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Suffolk County Community College is a large public school situated in Selden, New York. It awarded 53 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Suffolk County Community College also did well on our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Suffolk County Community College is $2,585 for liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Suffolk County Community College Liberal Arts Report

15
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West Valley College
Saratoga, California

West Valley College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Saratoga, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 678 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, West Valley College is in the top on our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for West Valley College is $2,924 for Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts at West Valley College

16
Central Texas College crest
Central Texas College
Killeen, Texas

Central Texas College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Central Texas College is a medium-sized public school situated in Killeen, Texas. It awarded 345 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Central Texas College also claimed a top spot on our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Central Texas College is $4,491 for liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Central Texas College Liberal Arts Report

17
South Texas College crest
South Texas College
McAllen, Texas

With a ranking of #17, South Texas College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. McAllen, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal studies degrees to 460 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $1,200 for Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend South Texas College.

Read more about Liberal Arts at South Texas College

18
Nassau Community College crest
Nassau Community College
Garden City, New York

Nassau Community College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Nassau Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Garden City, New York. It awarded 70 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Nassau Community College is also in the top of our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Nassau Community College is $2,197 for liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Nassau Community College

19
Palm Beach State College crest
Palm Beach State College
Lake Worth, Florida

Palm Beach State College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Lake Worth, Florida, and it awarded 4,062 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Palm Beach State College is also in the top of our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $8,452 for liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Palm Beach State College.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Palm Beach State College

20
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #20, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida State is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 187 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida State excels when it comes to liberal studies quality. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $4,950 for liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Florida State Liberal Arts Report

21

With a ranking of #21, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal studies degrees to 145 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $1,887 for liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at California State University - Los Angeles

22
Ventura College crest
Ventura College
Ventura, California

Ventura College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ventura College is a fairly large public school situated in Ventura, California. It awarded 1,796 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Ventura College is $321 for Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Ventura College Liberal Arts Report

23

Metropolitan Community College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. MCC is a fairly large school located in Omaha, Nebraska that handed out 353 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

MCC excels when it comes to liberal studies quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $3,325 for Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Metropolitan Community College.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Metropolitan Community College

24

With a ranking of #24, Moraine Valley Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Moraine Valley Community College is a public institution located in Palos Hills, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 711 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Moraine Valley Community College is $-210 for liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Moraine Valley Community College

25

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 148 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUDH also claimed a top spot on our “Best Liberal Arts Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $2,657 for Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at California State University - Dominguez Hills

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
MiraCosta College crest
MiraCosta College
Oceanside, California
28
Waubonsee crest
Waubonsee Community College
Sugar Grove, Illinois
29
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College of Lake County
Grayslake, Illinois
30
Pima County Community College District crest
Pima Community College
Tucson, Arizona
31
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Northwest Vista College
San Antonio, Texas
32
33
34
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University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
35
36
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Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, Florida
37
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St Charles Community College
Cottleville, Missouri
38
39
40
41
42
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Riverside City College
Riverside, California
43
44
Forsyth Tech crest
Forsyth Technical Community College
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
45
Frederick Community College crest
Frederick Community College
Frederick, Maryland
46
Orange Coast College crest
Orange Coast College
Costa Mesa, California
47
Washtenaw Community College crest
Washtenaw Community College
Ann Arbor, Michigan
48
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San Diego State University
San Diego, California
49
Cerritos College crest
Cerritos College
Norwalk, California
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Liberal Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Hillsborough Community CollegeTampa, FL
52Arizona State University - TempeTempe, AZ
53St Petersburg CollegeClearwater, FL
54Valencia CollegeOrlando, FL
55Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT
56California State University - StanislausTurlock, CA
57Tallahassee Community CollegeTallahassee, FL
58California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
59Lincoln Land Community CollegeSpringfield, IL
59San Antonio CollegeSan Antonio, TX
61Ivy Tech Community CollegeIndianapolis, IN
62Cleveland Community CollegeShelby, NC
63William Rainey Harper CollegePalatine, IL
64Wallace Community College, DothanDothan, AL
65Imperial Valley CollegeImperial, CA
RankCollegeLocation
66Delta CollegeUniversity Center, MI
67Cincinnati State Technical and Community CollegeCincinnati, OH
68Wake Technical Community CollegeRaleigh, NC
69Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, KY
70Chesapeake CollegeWye Mills, MD
71West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV
72Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, FL
73Santa Ana CollegeSanta Ana, CA
74Fayetteville Technical Community CollegeFayetteville, NC
75Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY
76Rowan-Cabarrus Community CollegeSalisbury, NC
77Lansing Community CollegeLansing, MI
78Colorado Mountain CollegeGlenwood Springs, CO
79Garden City Community CollegeGarden City, KS
80Indiana University - South BendSouth Bend, IN
81Montgomery CollegeRockville, MD
82Lewis and Clark Community CollegeGodfrey, IL
83Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN
84Joliet Junior CollegeJoliet, IL
85McLennan Community CollegeWaco, TX
86Oklahoma City Community CollegeOklahoma City, OK
87Caldwell Community College and Technical InstituteHudson, NC
88Middle Tennessee State UniversityMurfreesboro, TN
89College of the SequoiasVisalia, CA
90Henry Ford CollegeDearborn, MI
RankCollegeLocation
91Oakton Community CollegeDes Plaines, IL
92Lorain County Community CollegeElyria, OH
93McHenry County CollegeCrystal Lake, IL
94California State University - BakersfieldBakersfield, CA
95Norco CollegeNorco, CA
96Dakota College at BottineauBottineau, ND
97Georgia State University-Perimeter CollegeAtlanta, GA
98Middlesex Community CollegeBedford, MA
99Niagara County Community CollegeSanborn, NY
100SUNY UlsterStone Ridge, NY
101Moreno Valley CollegeMoreno Valley, CA
102Cossatot Community College of the University of ArkansasDe Queen, AR
103College of DuPageGlen Ellyn, IL
104Pitt Community CollegeWinterville, NC
105Vincennes UniversityVincennes, IN
106Metropolitan Community College - Kansas CityKansas City, MO
107College of Southern NevadaLas Vegas, NV
108City Colleges of Chicago - Richard J Daley CollegeChicago, IL
109Los Medanos CollegePittsburg, CA
110Oklahoma State University - Main CampusStillwater, OK
111California State University - FresnoFresno, CA
111College of Staten Island CUNYStaten Island, NY
113South Suburban CollegeSouth Holland, IL
114Bergen Community CollegeParamus, NJ
115City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X CollegeChicago, IL
RankCollegeLocation
116City Colleges of Chicago - Harry S Truman CollegeChicago, IL
117NorthWest Arkansas Community CollegeBentonville, AR
118University of North GeorgiaDahlonega, GA
119Cuyahoga Community College DistrictCleveland, OH
120Georgia Highlands CollegeRome, GA
121Central Arizona CollegeCoolidge, AZ
122Beaufort County Community CollegeWashington, NC
123New Mexico State University - Main CampusLas Cruces, NM
124Rockingham Community CollegeWentworth, NC

Notes and References

References

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