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2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

50 Ranked Colleges
6,506 Degrees Awarded
$8,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

With 365,980 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, liberal arts is the 2nd most popular major in the United States.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 119,619 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,506 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 50 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in liberal arts. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great liberal arts programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the liberal arts program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 180 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $2,117 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 Cal State LA

#18 in overall quality

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Stanislaus landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school handed out 235 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Stan State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $3,958 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, 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 87%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at California State University - Stanislaus

#22 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 485 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,731 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Fresno State

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 129 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $3,115 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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

#12 in overall quality

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #5 spot on the list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 320 students in 2019-2020.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $6,883 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at CSUN

#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 240 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $7,595 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at California State University - Long Beach

#7

Soka University of America

Aliso Viejo, California
#8 in overall quality

Soka University of America landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Aliso Viejo, California, and it awarded 93 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Soka University, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,210 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Soka University.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 students.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Soka University

California State University - Fullerton came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 125 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $6,100 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Cal State Fullerton

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 315 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $5,869 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at CSUSB

#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $14,680 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

#11

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#11 in overall quality

San Diego State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 206 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

SDSU also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $10,594 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 San Diego State University

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSUB is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 265 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $3,880 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Liberal Arts Report

#13

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#24 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Riverside is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 142 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

UCR also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $9,151 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCR Liberal Arts Report

California State University - Sacramento landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 177 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $7,823 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Full Sac State Liberal Arts Report

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Monterey Bay ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Monterey Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Seaside, California. It awarded 138 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUMB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $9,567 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Monterey Bay.

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

Full California State University - Monterey Bay Liberal Arts Report

#21 in overall quality

California State University - San Marcos landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSUSM is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 185 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSM also took the #21 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $10,347 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at California State University - San Marcos

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 95 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $8,891 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at California State University - East Bay

#18

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#20 in overall quality

San Francisco State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 115 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $12,517 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at San Francisco State University

#19

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#19 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 47 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $11,752 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Jose State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at San Jose State University

#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 130 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $9,630 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 87%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#21

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#15 in overall quality

Sonoma State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Rohnert Park, California. It awarded 148 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, SSU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sonoma State University is $13,248 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at SSU

#22

Portland State University

Portland, Oregon

Portland State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Portland, Oregon, this large public school handed out 186 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Portland State University is $11,440 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Portland State University

With a ranking of #23, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Chico is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 205 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $11,576 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Chico State

#24

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, Hawaii

University of Hawaii at Manoa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. UH Manoa is a public institution located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Hawaii at Manoa is $12,540 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Full UH Manoa Liberal Arts Report

#25

The Evergreen State College

Olympia, Washington

The Evergreen State College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Olympia, Washington, and it awarded 628 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Evergreen is $12,311 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at The Evergreen State College

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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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