by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Liberal Arts is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 2nd of all the majors we analyze. In 2021-2022, 354,866 degrees were awarded to students with this major.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,024 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,979 and $43,370 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major” ranking looked at 140 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in liberal arts. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in liberal arts.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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 “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major”.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree liberal studies students.
Out of the 140 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, St John’s College landed the #1 spot on the list. St John’s College is a small school located in Annapolis, Maryland that handed out 31 masters’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Out of the 140 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, St. John’s College landed the #2 spot on the list. St. John’s is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 19 masters’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Alaska Pacific University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major. Alaska Pacific is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Anchorage, Alaska. It awarded 5 masters’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Goddard College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major. Plainfield, Vermont is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s liberal studies degrees to 13 students in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, 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 Union Institute & University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major. Union is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at Union Institute & University
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major ranking. Located in Norman, Oklahoma, this large public school handed out 109 degrees to qualified masters’s liberal studies students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Liberal Arts Report
With a ranking of #7, Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major list. Wesleyan U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Middletown, Connecticut. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #8, Saint Mary’s College of California did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major list. This small school is located in Moraga, California, and it awarded 15 masters’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, 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 88%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at Saint Mary’s College of California
The Graduate Center, CUNY ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major list. The Graduate Center, CUNY is located in New York, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 43 masters’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Auburn University at Montgomery ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major list. Montgomery, Alabama is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s liberal studies degrees to 9 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Auburn University at Montgomery
With a ranking of #11, Stony Brook University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major list. Stony Brook University is a large public school situated in Stony Brook, New York. It awarded 53 masters’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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.
University of St. Thomas landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major ranking. UST is a small school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 14 masters’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.1% 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%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts at University of St. Thomas
With a ranking of #13, Texas Christian University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major list. Fort Worth, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s liberal studies degrees to 37 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Indiana University - South Bend came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major ranking. This small school is located in South Bend, Indiana, and it awarded 8 masters’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad 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 Indiana University - South Bend
University of North Carolina at Asheville ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major list. University of North Carolina at Asheville is located in Asheville, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 22 masters’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of North Carolina at Asheville Liberal Arts Report
Ursuline College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Pepper Pike, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 1 degrees to qualified masters’s liberal studies students in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Fort Hays State University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major ranking. Fort Hays State University is located in Hays, Kansas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 27 masters’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.
Spring Hill College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Mobile, Alabama, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified masters’s liberal studies students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Alcorn State University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major list. Alcorn State University is a public institution located in Alcorn State, Mississippi. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
University of Dallas landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major ranking. This small school is located in Irving, Texas, and it awarded 0 masters’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Dallas Baptist University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major ranking. Dallas Baptist University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 5 masters’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.
With a ranking of #22, Southern Methodist University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major list. SMU is located in Dallas, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 27 masters’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Liberal Arts at Southern Methodist University
The College at Brockport ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Brockport, New York, and it awarded 7 masters’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad 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%.
Henderson State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major ranking. Henderson State University is located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 7 masters’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.
Reed College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major ranking. Located in Portland, Oregon, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified masters’s liberal studies students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies