2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region
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 Far Western US Region” ranking.
In 2019-2020, 365,980 liberal arts students received their degree, making the major the 2nd most popular in the country.
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” ranking analyzed 56 colleges that offered a degree 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.
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.
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The liberal studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region”.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 Far Western US Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts in the Far Western US Region
Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Brandman University landed the #1 spot on the list. Brandman is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 170 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Brandman also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Brandman University is $21,604 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students.
Out of the 56 schools in the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #2 spot on the list. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 320 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
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.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts at California State University - Northridge
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Monterey Bay. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region 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. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Monterey Bay is $12,212 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts at California State University - Monterey Bay
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Thomas Aquinas College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region. Thomas Aquinas College is located in Santa Paula, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 95 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
TAC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for TAC is $25,526 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%.
California State University - Fresno came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 485 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students list, Fresno State has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $5,464 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students per year to attend California State University - Fresno.
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%. 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
California State University - Long Beach ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 240 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.
Full California State University - Long Beach Liberal Arts Report
Antioch University - Santa Barbara 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 ranking. Antioch University - Santa Barbara is a small school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 32 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The low student loan default rate of 4.1% 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%. 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.
Read more about Liberal Arts at Antioch University - Santa Barbara
California State University - Stanislaus 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 ranking. Stan State 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stan State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $6,019 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 78 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students.
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 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #11. California State University - San Bernardino is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 315 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,342 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students per year to attend CSUSB.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #12. 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 list, SSU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $17,478 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students per year to attend SSU.
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%.
With a ranking of #13, 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 list. California State University - San Marcos 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. It costs about $13,399 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students per year to attend CSUSM.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - San Marcos Liberal Arts Report
California State University - Chico ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 205 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,017 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students per year to attend California State University - Chico.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - East Bay came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. 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 California State University - East Bay is $11,116 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students.
San Francisco State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 115 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
SFSU also made our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $15,113 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students.
Read more about Liberal Arts at San Francisco State University
With a ranking of #17, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. 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 a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
California State University - Channel Islands ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. California State University - Channel Islands is a medium-sized school located in Camarillo, California that handed out 126 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Channel Islands is $13,558 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students.
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%.
With a ranking of #19, 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 list. Cal Poly Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $12,734 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
California State University - Sacramento ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 177 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $9,979 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts at California State University - Sacramento
San Jose State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Liberal Arts Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $14,928 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #22, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Bakersfield, California, this fairly large public school handed out 265 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $5,318 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students.
Antioch University - Los Angeles came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Culver City, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Liberal Arts at Antioch University - Los Angeles
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #24. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 180 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $2,768 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Studies students per year to attend Cal State LA.
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%.
California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #25. CSUDH is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 129 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $4,215 for far western us region bachelor’s degree liberal studies students.
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%.
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts in the Far Western US 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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