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2024 Best Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region

234 Colleges in the Southeast Region
119,958 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
If you pursue a degree in liberal arts, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #2 most popular program in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 234 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for liberal arts students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 119,958 degrees in liberal arts to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Liberal Arts School

Best Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region Your choice of liberal arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for liberal arts schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Liberal Arts Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Liberal Studies
Bachelor's Degrees in Liberal Studies
Master's Degrees in Liberal Studies

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.


 

Best Schools for Liberal Arts in the Southeast Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the liberal studies degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Southeast Region Schools in Liberal Studies

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
66th Most Popular In NC

North Carolina State University is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in liberal arts. Located in the large city of Raleigh, NC State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means NC State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 27 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at NC State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from North Carolina State University

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
17th Most Popular In VA
90 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

George Mason University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in liberal arts. Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 90 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from George Mason University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
16th Most Popular In TN
62 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

It's difficult to beat Middle Tennessee State University if you wish to pursue a degree in liberal arts. Located in the medium-sized city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 12th out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 62 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Middle Tennessee State University in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from Middle Tennessee State University

4
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
43rd Most Popular In FL
6.3% Growth in Graduates

University of Miami is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in liberal arts. U Miami is a large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Coral Gables. A Best Colleges rank of #91 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means U Miami is a great university overall.

There were about 16 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at U Miami in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from University of Miami

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
61st Most Popular In NC
46 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #43 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.

There were about 46 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
25th Most Popular In FL
453 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Tampa, USF Tampa is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #229 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USF Tampa is a great university overall.

There were roughly 453 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at USF Tampa in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from University of South Florida - Main Campus

7
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In VA
263 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #169 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 263 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from James Madison University

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
25th Most Popular In VA
28.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Harrisonburg, Eastern Mennonite is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #497 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Eastern Mennonite is a great university overall.

There were about 25 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Eastern Mennonite in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from Eastern Mennonite University

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In WV
52 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

WVU is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Morgantown. This university ranks 2nd out of 28 schools for overall quality in the state of West Virginia.

There were about 52 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at WVU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from West Virginia University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In SC
101 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

Located in the midsize city of Columbia, UofSC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #152 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UofSC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 101 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at UofSC in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from University of South Carolina - Columbia

11
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
26th Most Popular In FL
416 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

Located in the large suburb of Orlando, UCF is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #193 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCF is a great university overall.

There were roughly 416 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at UCF in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from University of Central Florida

12
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
24th Most Popular In FL
459 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

Located in the suburb of Miami, FIU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #183 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means FIU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 459 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at FIU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from Florida International University

13
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
35th Most Popular In FL
187 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

Florida State is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Tallahassee. A Best Colleges rank of #121 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Florida State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 187 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Florida State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from Florida State University

14
UMW crest
University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
18th Most Popular In VA
80 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

Located in the midsize suburb of Fredericksburg, UMW is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 21st out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 80 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at UMW in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from University of Mary Washington

15
Union crest
Union University
Jackson, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
20th Most Popular In TN

Located in the city of Jackson, Union is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 7th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 19 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Union in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from Union University

16
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
14th Most Popular In TN
101 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Memphis, UofM is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 9th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 101 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at UofM in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from University of Memphis

17
Lee University crest
Lee University
Cleveland, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
18th Most Popular In TN
57 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

Lee University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Cleveland. This university ranks 15th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 57 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Lee University in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from Lee University

18
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In GA
2,419 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

Georgia State University-Perimeter College is a large public university located in the city of Atlanta. This university ranks 10th out of 68 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were approximately 2419 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Georgia State University-Perimeter College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from Georgia State University-Perimeter College

19
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
19th Most Popular In KY
35 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

UofL is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Louisville. A Best Colleges rank of #338 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UofL is a great university overall.

There were roughly 35 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at UofL in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from University of Louisville

20
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
46th Most Popular In NC
137 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

Beaufort County Community College is a small public college located in the rural area of Washington. This college ranks 16th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were about 137 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Beaufort County Community College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from Beaufort County Community College

21
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In AR
437 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Jonesboro, A-State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 34 schools for overall quality in the state of Arkansas.

There were approximately 437 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at A-State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from Arkansas State University - Main Campus

22
Valencia College crest
Valencia College
Orlando, FL
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In FL
7,810 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

Valencia College is a very large public college located in the large city of Orlando. This college ranks 14th out of 77 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were approximately 7810 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Valencia College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from Valencia College

23
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In NC
437 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Hickory, CVCC is a public college with a small student population. This college ranks 14th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were approximately 437 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at CVCC in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from Catawba Valley Community College

24
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In AR
739 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

NWACC is a moderately-sized public college located in the small city of Bentonville. This college ranks 5th out of 34 colleges for overall quality in the state of Arkansas.

There were approximately 739 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at NWACC in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from NorthWest Arkansas Community College

25
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In GA
781 Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded

UNG is a large public university located in the town of Dahlonega. This university ranks 28th out of 68 colleges for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were roughly 781 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at UNG in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in liberal arts from University of North Georgia

Rest of the Top Best Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region

26
27
28
BC crest
Broward College
Fort Lauderdale, FL
29
Gaston College crest
Gaston College
Dallas, NC
30
31
32

33

34
McNeese crest
McNeese State University
Lake Charles, LA
34
35

 

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region award.

Rank College Location
36 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
37 Hillsborough Community College Tampa, FL
38 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
39 University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, AR
40 Tallahassee Community College Tallahassee, FL
41 Jefferson State Community College Birmingham, AL
42 Forsyth Technical Community College Winston-Salem, NC
43 Florida SouthWestern State College Fort Myers, FL
44 Johnston Community College Smithfield, NC
45 Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga, TN
46 Wake Technical Community College Raleigh, NC

Best Liberal Arts Colleges by State

Explore the best liberal arts colleges for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Florida 715 63,684
North Carolina 710 16,095
Georgia 690 6,524
Virginia 630 5,953
Tennessee 624 8,135
South Carolina 530 4,103
Kentucky 518 5,734
Mississippi 501 1,680
Alabama 500 957
Louisiana 489 105
Arkansas 466 2,166
West Virginia 410 483

View All Rankings >

Liberal Arts is one of 3 different types of Liberal Arts General Studies programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
General Studies 28,846
Individualized Studies 13,678
Humanities 746

View All Liberal Studies Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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