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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in California

6 Ranked Colleges
135 Degrees Awarded
$19,700 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master's in California

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in California” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 California, there were 112,019 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,678 and $19,082 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 135 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $60,281 and $50,119 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in California” ranking analyzed 6 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts general studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent liberal arts general studies programs, but they also cost less that 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in California”.

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.

Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california master’s degree liberal arts students.

Top 6 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in California

#1

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Mount Saint Mary’s University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in California. MSMU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 10 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

MSMU also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at MSMU are $12,612, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Mount Saint Mary’s University

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in California list. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 19 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at CSUN are $17,955.

Full CSUN Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#3

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 6 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, San Diego State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 13 degrees to qualified masters’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree liberal arts students list, SDSU has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at San Diego State University are $18,658.

Full SDSU Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in California. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 12 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree liberal arts students list, CSUDH has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Dominguez Hills are $17,884, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#5

Dominican University of California

San Rafael, California
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 6 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Dominican University of California landed the #5 spot on the list. San Rafael, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s liberal arts degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

DUofC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at DUofC are $16,520, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Dominican University of California Liberal Arts General Studies Report

Saint Mary’s College of California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in California ranking, coming in at #6. SMC is a small school located in Moraga, California that handed out 11 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

SMC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Saint Mary’s College of California are $33,509, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at SMC

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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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