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2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

19 Ranked Colleges
2,285 Degrees Awarded
$11,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region 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. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 365,980 liberal arts students received their degree, making the major the 2nd most popular in the country.

Across the Southwest region, there were 28,078 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,285 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 19 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the liberal arts program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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 a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A & M University - Central Texas. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Killeen, Texas, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A & M University - Central Texas not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Texas A & M University - Central Texas

#1 in overall quality

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #2 spot on the list. The University of Texas at Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 143 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

UT Austin also took the #1 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $12,203 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at UT Austin

#6 in overall quality

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Oklahoma State University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

OSU also took the #6 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $8,669 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full OSU Liberal Arts Report

#4

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas Tech University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Lubbock, Texas, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $12,317 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas Tech University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Texas Tech University

#13 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Portales, New Mexico is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 71 students in 2019-2020.

ENMU - Main Campus also took the #13 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus is $8,115 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus Liberal Arts Report

#4 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. ASU - Skysong is a public institution located in Scottsdale, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 342 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Skysong also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Skysong is $12,037 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full ASU - Skysong Liberal Arts Report

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 102 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, ASU - Tempe has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $7,044 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree 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 86%.

Full ASU - Tempe Liberal Arts Report

#7

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona
#8 in overall quality

Northern Arizona University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. NAU is a public institution located in Flagstaff, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 545 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NAU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northern Arizona University is $9,251 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northern Arizona University Liberal Arts Report

#8

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of Houston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UH is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 58 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UH also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for University of Houston is $10,203 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Liberal Arts at UH

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and it awarded 166 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, NMSU Main Campus has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $6,896 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NMSU Main Campus.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at NMSU Main Campus

#10

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas
#11 in overall quality

Sam Houston State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Huntsville, Texas, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, SHSU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SHSU is $10,561 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Sam Houston State University

#14 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - Commerce ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas A&M Commerce is located in Commerce, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M Commerce, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $10,013 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas A&M University - Commerce.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Texas A&M University - Commerce

#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Norman, Oklahoma, this large public school awarded 148 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oklahoma is $16,675 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Liberal Arts Report

#13

University of St. Thomas

Houston, Texas
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of St. Thomas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UST is a private not-for-profit institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UST not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of St. Thomas is $16,969 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts at UST

#14

Oklahoma Christian University

Edmond, Oklahoma
#16 in overall quality

Oklahoma Christian University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. OC is located in Edmond, Oklahoma and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, OC has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $18,686 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oklahoma Christian University.

Full Oklahoma Christian University Liberal Arts Report

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of Central Oklahoma did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Edmond, Oklahoma, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCO has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCO is $12,297 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts at UCO

#16

St. John's College

Santa Fe, New Mexico
#15 in overall quality

St. John’s College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. St. John’s College is a small school located in Santa Fe, New Mexico that handed out 74 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, St. John’s has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. John’s is $17,916 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at St. John’s

#17

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of New Mexico - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNM is a public institution located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The school has a large population, and it awarded 197 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $13,242 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNM.

Read more about Liberal Arts at University of New Mexico - Main Campus

#18

Northern New Mexico College

Espanola, New Mexico
#20 in overall quality

Northern New Mexico College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northern New Mexico College is located in Espanola, New Mexico and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northern New Mexico College, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern New Mexico College is $8,046 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Northern New Mexico College

#19

Tarleton State University

Stephenville, Texas
#18 in overall quality

Tarleton State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Stephenville, Texas, and it awarded 99 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Tarleton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $15,604 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Tarleton.

Full Tarleton State University Liberal Arts Report

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Notes and References

References

  • 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 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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