by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 79 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for liberal arts general studies students pursuing a master's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 2,044 master's degrees in liberal arts general studies to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The liberal arts master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we consider a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for liberal arts general studies students working on their master's degree.
The liberal arts 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 the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master's Degree Schools.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in liberal arts general studies. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
University of Chicago is a good decision for students pursuing a master's degree in liberal arts general studies. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago.
Master's students who receive their degree from the liberal arts program make around $32,813 in their early career salary.
More information about a master’s in liberal arts general studies from University of Chicago
University of Pennsylvania is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in liberal arts general studies. UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia.
After graduating, liberal arts master's recipients generally earn around $46,473 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a master’s in liberal arts general studies from University of Pennsylvania
It's hard to beat Johns Hopkins University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in liberal arts general studies. Located in the large city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Those liberal arts general studies students who get their master's degree from Johns Hopkins University earn $10,936 more than the standard liberal arts grad.
More information about a master’s in liberal arts general studies from Johns Hopkins University
The University of Texas at Austin is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in liberal arts general studies. UT Austin is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Austin.
Master's recipients from the liberal arts general studies degree program at The University of Texas at Austin earn $37,692 more than the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a master’s in liberal arts general studies from The University of Texas at Austin
Georgetown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington.
Those liberal arts general studies students who get their master's degree from Georgetown University make $12,758 more than the average liberal arts grad.
More information about a master’s in liberal arts general studies from Georgetown University
NYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York.
Master's students who receive their degree from the liberal arts program earn about $43,383 in their early career salary.
More information about a master’s in liberal arts general studies from New York University
Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in liberal arts general studies from Northwestern University
Located in the large city of Raleigh, NC State is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in liberal arts general studies from North Carolina State University
University of Oklahoma is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Norman.
Master's recipients from the liberal arts general studies degree program at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus earn $5,105 above the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a master’s in liberal arts general studies from University of Oklahoma Norman Campus
SMU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Dallas.
Master's students who receive their degree from the liberal arts program make an average of $47,515 in their early career salary.
More information about a master’s in liberal arts general studies from Southern Methodist University
Located in the city of Middletown, Wesleyan U is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a master’s in liberal arts general studies from Wesleyan University
Learn about other programs related to Liberal Arts General Studies that might interest you.
Maximize your transfer credits and complete your bachelor's degree faster with this flexible online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
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 General Studies Master's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Dartmouth College | Hanover, NH |
| 13 | Drexel University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 14 | Duke University | Durham, NC |
| 15 | Tulane University of Louisiana | New Orleans, LA |
| 16 | Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro, TN |
| 17 | Villanova University | Villanova, PA |
| 18 | Saint Mary’s College of California | Moraga, CA |
| 19 | DePaul University | Chicago, IL |
View the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
One of 0 majors within the Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities area of study, Liberal Arts General Studies has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts | 1,218 |
| Humanities | 490 |
| General Studies | 203 |
| Individualized Studies | 133 |
