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2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid

52 Ranked Colleges
6,506 Degrees Awarded
$11,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Getting Aid” ranking looked at 52 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State LA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 180 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,768 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid.

The school has an impressive 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 Cal State LA

#18 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Stanislaus. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Stanislaus is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 235 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid 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 $6,019 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Stan State Liberal Arts Report

#12 in overall quality

Out of the 52 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #3 spot on the list. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 320 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $8,414 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid.

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 California State University - Northridge

#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 #4 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 485 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid.

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 student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 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 #5 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school handed out 129 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,215 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid per year to attend CSUDH.

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%.

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

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 315 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Liberal Arts at CSUSB

#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, 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 Getting Aid list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 240 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #14 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 125 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $7,991 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Cal State Fullerton

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUB is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 265 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,318 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid per year to attend California State University - Bakersfield.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at California State University - Bakersfield

#10

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#11 in overall quality

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 206 students in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #11 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $14,788 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at SDSU

California State University - Sacramento came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 177 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid.

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 California State University - Sacramento Liberal Arts Report

#12

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#24 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $12,871 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at UCR

#13

Soka University of America

Aliso Viejo, California
#8 in overall quality

Soka University of America 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 Getting Aid ranking. Soka University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aliso Viejo, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 93 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Soka University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Soka University is $13,914 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Soka University of America

#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. 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 made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $13,399 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 California State University - San Marcos

#1 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 78 students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #1 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Liberal Arts Report

#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Monterey Bay is a medium-sized school located in Seaside, California that handed out 138 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid list, CSUMB has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Monterey Bay is $12,212 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid.

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%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at California State University - Monterey Bay

California State University - East Bay landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school handed out 95 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $11,116 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Cal State East Bay

#25 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,734 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid.

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 student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 more about Liberal Arts at Cal Poly Pomona

#19

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#20 in overall quality

San Francisco 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 Getting Aid list. SFSU is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 115 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $15,113 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at SFSU

#20

Portland State University

Portland, Oregon

Portland State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Portland, Oregon is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 186 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Portland State University is $13,040 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Portland State University

#21

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#19 in overall quality

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 47 degrees 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 with aid list, San Jose State has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $14,928 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at San Jose State University

With a ranking of #22, California State University - Channel Islands did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. CSUCI is a public institution located in Camarillo, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 126 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Channel Islands is $13,558 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.

Full CSUCI Liberal Arts Report

#23

The Evergreen State College

Olympia, Washington

With a ranking of #23, The Evergreen State College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Olympia, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 628 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Evergreen is $13,604 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students with aid.

Full The Evergreen State College Liberal Arts Report

#24

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#15 in overall quality

Sonoma State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Rohnert Park, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 148 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.

SSU also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $17,478 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Sonoma State University Liberal Arts Report

California State University - Chico landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Chico is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 205 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,017 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students with aid per year to attend California State University - Chico.

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 more about Liberal Arts at California State University - Chico

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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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