2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 For Those Making $48-$75k” 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.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 25,169 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 291 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k”.
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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $48-$75k)
Out of the 291 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. MIT is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 10 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
MIT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $6,049 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Harvard University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 4 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $3,411 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $7,934 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Johns Hopkins, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,049 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.
The low 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 students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Out of the 291 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgetown University landed the #5 spot on the list. Georgetown University is a fairly large school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 24 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Georgetown, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,933 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Georgetown University.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #6, Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Wesleyan U is a small school located in Middletown, Connecticut that handed out 9 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wesleyan U, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wesleyan U is $12,629 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
With a ranking of #7, Florida International University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. FIU is a large school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 368 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend FIU is $10,298 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #8, The City College of New York did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 104 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend The City College of New York is $7,358 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 242 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
USF Tampa also claimed a top spot on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $9,809 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of Notre Dame ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 47 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Notre Dame also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $17,768 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 180 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $5,644 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
The University of Texas at Austin landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 143 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, UT Austin has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $15,757 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 The University of Texas at Austin
California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school handed out 235 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,772 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stan State.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Stanislaus Liberal Arts Report
Soka University of America landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Aliso Viejo, California, and it awarded 93 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Soka University excels when it comes to liberal studies quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Soka University is $15,583 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Baruch College landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Baruch College is $7,954 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
North Carolina State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. NC State is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
NC State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $15,084 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend North Carolina State University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Fresno landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 485 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,549 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Fresno State.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full California State University - Fresno Liberal Arts Report
Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 238 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
IU Bloomington excels when it comes to liberal studies quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $12,060 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 129 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $6,907 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 California State University - Dominguez Hills Liberal Arts Report
California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 320 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $10,783 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%.
With a ranking of #21, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 97 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Green Bay also claimed a top spot on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,584 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a ranking of #22, Northern Kentucky University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Highland Heights, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 92 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Northern Kentucky University is $10,039 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
Oakland University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $10,387 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 240 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $10,807 for bachelor’s degree liberal studies students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 1.6% 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%.
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 315 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $8,924 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Full California State University - San Bernardino Liberal Arts Report
Rest of the Best 44 in Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k
Not only did these schools make the top 44 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $48-$75k) in the Southeast Region
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts (Income $48-$75k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
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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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