2023 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies
1,114
Ranked Colleges
556,813
Degrees Awarded
$9,000
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Arts Schools” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
With 556,813 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, liberal arts general studies is the 1st most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, liberal arts general studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,337 and had an average of $17,430 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools” ranking, we looked at 1,114 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts general studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great liberal arts general studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the liberal arts general studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts General Studies Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools
The colleges and universities below are the best for liberal arts students.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies
Out of the 1,114 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, American Public University System landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Charles Town, West Virginia, this large private for-profit school awarded 1,837 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
American Military University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” list. It costs about $10,563 for liberal arts students per year to attend American Military University.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at American Public University System
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools list. Brigham Young University - Idaho is located in Rexburg, Idaho and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,598 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
BYU - I excels when it comes to liberal arts quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho is $6,698 for Liberal Arts students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full BYU - I Liberal Arts General Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Thomas Edison State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools. TESU is a medium-sized public school situated in Trenton, New Jersey. It awarded 660 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, TESU is in the top on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” list.
The low undergrad 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 General Studies at Thomas Edison State University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Central New Mexico Community College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools. Central New Mexico Community College is a public institution located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4,698 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CNM also claimed a top spot on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend CNM is $3,322 for Liberal Arts students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Central New Mexico Community College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Texas College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools list. Central Texas College is a medium-sized school located in Killeen, Texas that handed out 1,171 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Central Texas College also did well on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Central Texas College is $5,196 for Liberal Arts students.
Full Central Texas College Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Metropolitan Community College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools ranking. MCC is a fairly large public school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 568 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
MCC excels when it comes to liberal arts quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $4,315 for Liberal Arts students per year to attend Metropolitan Community College.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 General Studies at Metropolitan Community College
Northern Virginia Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools list. Located in Annandale, Virginia, this large public school handed out 3,606 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Northern Virginia Community College is also in the top of our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Virginia Community College is $9,452 for Liberal Arts students.
Full Northern Virginia Community College Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Collin County Community College District did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools ranking, coming in at #8. Collin County Community College District is a large public school situated in McKinney, Texas. It awarded 3,223 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, Collin County Community College District is in the top on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Collin County Community College District is $7,040 for liberal arts students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Collin County Community College District
Columbia College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools ranking. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 871 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
Columbia College Missouri excels when it comes to liberal arts quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia College Missouri is $26,668 for liberal arts students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Columbia College Missouri
McLennan Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools ranking, coming in at #10. McLennan Community College is a medium-sized school located in Waco, Texas that handed out 879 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
MCC excels when it comes to liberal arts quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” list. It costs about $6,849 for liberal arts students per year to attend McLennan Community College.
Full McLennan Community College Liberal Arts General Studies Report
With a ranking of #11, Excelsior College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools list. Excelsior College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Albany, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,878 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our liberal arts students list, Excelsior College has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” ranking.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Excelsior College Liberal Arts General Studies Report
With a ranking of #12, Cleveland Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools list. This small school is located in Shelby, North Carolina, and it awarded 260 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Cleveland Community College is $-141 for liberal arts students. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Cleveland Community College
With a ranking of #13, University of Maryland Global Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools list. University of Maryland Global Campus is a public institution located in Adelphi, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2,567 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our liberal arts students list, UMGC has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland Global Campus is $15,395 for liberal arts students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at UMGC
With a ranking of #14, South Dakota State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools list. This fairly large school is located in Brookings, South Dakota, and it awarded 65 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, South Dakota State is in the top on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” list. It costs about $18,578 for liberal arts students per year to attend South Dakota State University.
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%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at South Dakota State
With a ranking of #14, Macomb Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools list. Warren, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 1,226 students in 2020-2021.
Macomb Community College excels when it comes to liberal arts quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” list. It costs about $9,982 for liberal arts students per year to attend Macomb Community College.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Macomb Community College
Oakland Community College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools ranking. Located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 811 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
Oakland Community College excels when it comes to liberal arts quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $3,665 for liberal arts students per year to attend Oakland Community College.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Oakland Community College
Chesapeake College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools ranking. This small school is located in Wye Mills, Maryland, and it awarded 128 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Chesapeake College is $4,118 for Liberal Arts students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Chesapeake College
Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools ranking, coming in at #18. Provo, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.
BYU also claimed a top spot on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $13,474 for liberal arts students per year to attend BYU.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full BYU Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Dakota College at Bottineau did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools ranking, coming in at #19. Dakota College at Bottineau is located in Bottineau, North Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 78 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, MSU-Bottineau is also in the top of our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Dakota College at Bottineau is $10,490 for liberal arts students.
Full MSU-Bottineau Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Ivy Tech Community College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools ranking. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 6,224 students in 2020-2021.
Ivy Tech Community College excels when it comes to liberal arts quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Ivy Tech Community College is $7,669 for liberal arts students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Ivy Tech Community College
Johnson County Community College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools ranking. Overland Park, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 1,257 students in 2020-2021.
JCCC excels when it comes to liberal arts quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Johnson County Community College is $13,371 for Liberal Arts students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Johnson County Community College
Central Arizona College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools ranking, coming in at #22. This small school is located in Coolidge, Arizona, and it awarded 651 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Pinal County Community College is $5,804 for liberal arts students.
Full Pinal County Community College Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Elgin Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools ranking, coming in at #23. ECC is a public institution located in Elgin, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 931 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, ECC also did well on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Elgin Community College is $3,828 for liberal arts students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at ECC
Charter Oak State College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools ranking. Charter Oak State College is a public institution located in New Britain, Connecticut. The school has a small population, and it awarded 222 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Charter Oak State College also claimed a top spot on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Charter Oak State College is $11,872 for Liberal Arts students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Charter Oak State College Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Georgia State University-Perimeter College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools ranking, coming in at #25. Georgia State University-Perimeter College is a fairly large public school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 2,419 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, Georgia State University-Perimeter College is in the top on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia State University-Perimeter College is $9,316 for Liberal Arts students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Georgia State University-Perimeter College