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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Rocky Mountains Region

19 Ranked Colleges
1,543 Degrees Awarded
$16,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in the Rocky Mountains Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Liberal Arts General Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 1st of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 559,661 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, liberal arts general studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $26,786 and had an average of $16,538 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Rocky Mountains region, there were 25,582 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,558 and $15,080 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,543 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,111 and $23,874 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in liberal arts general studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality liberal arts general studies programs that also have a lower cost than 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 general studies program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region” 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region.

Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Rocky Mountains Region

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #1 spot on the list. BYU - I is a large school located in Rexburg, Idaho that handed out 638 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students list, BYU - I has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Idaho is $7,167 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full BYU - I Liberal Arts General Studies Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. BYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 37 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU also took the #2 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Provo is $13,322 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Full BYU Liberal Arts General Studies Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Weber State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Weber State University is located in Ogden, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

WSU also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $11,968 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students per year to attend Weber State University.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Weber State University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Colorado State University - Pueblo. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Pueblo, Colorado is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

Colorado State University - Pueblo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Colorado State University - Pueblo is $14,653 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Colorado State University - Pueblo

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Utah State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in Logan, Utah, this large public school handed out 110 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

USU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Utah State University is $13,634 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.

Full Utah State University Liberal Arts General Studies Report

Utah Valley University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in Orem, Utah, this large public school handed out 46 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

UVU also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $9,159 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students per year to attend Utah Valley University.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at UVU

#7

Adams State University

Alamosa, Colorado

Adams State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Adams State University is located in Alamosa, Colorado and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 55 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

Adams State also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Adams State University is $14,064 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Adams State

#8

Southern Utah University

Cedar City, Utah

Southern Utah University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Located in Cedar City, Utah, this fairly large public school handed out 70 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

Southern Utah University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Utah University is $14,285 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Southern Utah University

Lewis - Clark State College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Lewiston, Idaho, this small public school awarded 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lewis - Clark State College, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lewis - Clark State College is $11,046 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Lewis - Clark State College

#10

Montana State University

Bozeman, Montana

Montana State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Montana State University is located in Bozeman, Montana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

MSU Bozeman not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Montana State University is $19,202 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at MSU Bozeman

#11

Colorado Mesa University

Grand Junction, Colorado

Colorado Mesa University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Grand Junction, Colorado, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Colorado Mesa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Colorado Mesa is $15,569 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Colorado Mesa

Colorado State University - Fort Collins did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Fort Collins, Colorado, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students list, Colorado State has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado State is $18,668 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Colorado State University - Fort Collins Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#13

University of Idaho

Moscow, Idaho

University of Idaho ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. University of Idaho is located in Moscow, Idaho and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

U of I not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend U of I is $14,132 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Idaho

#14

Idaho State University

Pocatello, Idaho

With a ranking of #14, Idaho State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Pocatello, Idaho is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 62 students in 2019-2020.

ISU also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for ISU is $16,810 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.

Full ISU Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#15

The University of Montana

Missoula, Montana

The University of Montana landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Located in Missoula, Montana, this medium-sized public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

UM also took the #16 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Montana is $15,246 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.

Full The University of Montana Liberal Arts General Studies Report

Northwest Nazarene University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Nampa, Idaho is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students list, NNU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $20,708 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students per year to attend Northwest Nazarene University.

Full Northwest Nazarene University Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#17

Colorado Christian University

Lakewood, Colorado
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Colorado Christian University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. CCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Lakewood, Colorado. It awarded 1 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

CCU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $25,268 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree liberal arts students per year to attend Colorado Christian University.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Colorado Christian University

Johnson & Wales University - Denver came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Located in Denver, Colorado, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at JWU Denver, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $26,221 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students per year to attend JWU Denver.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at JWU Denver

#19

Regis University

Denver, Colorado

With a ranking of #19, Regis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Regis University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Denver, Colorado. It awarded 16 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Regis U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Regis U is $25,483 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Regis University

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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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