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2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region

12 Ranked Colleges
429 Degrees Awarded
$23,500 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master's in the Southwest Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Master’s in the Southwest Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 559,661 liberal arts general studies students received their degree, making the major the 1st most popular in the country. 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 Southwest region, there were 78,664 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,829 and $15,343 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 429 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $53,078 and $37,227 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region” ranking looked at 12 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. 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 for a Master’s in the Southwest Region” list, to help you choose the best school for 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. 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 Master’s in the Southwest Region

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

Top 12 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Southwest Region

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #1 spot on the list. Arizona State University - Skysong is located in Scottsdale, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 masters’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

ASU - Skysong also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #9. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at ASU - Skysong are $6,724.

Full ASU - Skysong Liberal Arts General Studies Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at Austin. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified masters’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #2. Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Austin are $22,886, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at UT Austin

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region. Located in Norman, Oklahoma, this large public school awarded 160 degrees to qualified masters’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus are $23,236, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Oklahoma Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#4

Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, Texas
#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wayland Baptist University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region. Wayland Baptist University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Plainview, Texas. It awarded 2 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Wayland Baptist University also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #7. Average graduate tuition and fees at Wayland Baptist University are $14,710, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Wayland Baptist University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Houston Baptist University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region list. HBU is a small school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 8 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

HBU also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #11. Average graduate tuition and fees at Houston Baptist University are $12,650, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Houston Baptist University

#6

University of St. Thomas

Houston, Texas

University of St. Thomas came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region ranking. This small school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 21 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UST also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #8. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of St. Thomas are $21,634.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at University of St. Thomas

#12 in overall quality

Texas A & M University - Central Texas ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region list. Texas A & M University - Central Texas is a small public school situated in Killeen, Texas. It awarded 2 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree liberal arts students list, Texas A & M University - Central Texas has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A & M University - Central Texas are $13,561, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Texas A & M University - Central Texas Liberal Arts General Studies Report

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #8. ASU - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #5. Average graduate tuition and fees at Arizona State University - Tempe are $27,048, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Liberal Arts General Studies Report

The University of Texas at Dallas came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region ranking. UT Dallas is a large school located in Richardson, Texas that handed out 23 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Dallas not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UT Dallas are $28,610.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at The University of Texas at Dallas

#10

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, Texas

Texas Christian University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region ranking. TCU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Fort Worth, Texas. It awarded 30 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at TCU, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas Christian University are $32,268, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full TCU Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#11

St. John's College

Santa Fe, New Mexico
#10 in overall quality

St. John’s College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 21 degrees to qualified masters’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

St. John’s also took the #10 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at St. John’s are $28,612.

Full St. John’s Liberal Arts General Studies Report

With a ranking of #12, Southern Methodist University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region list. SMU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dallas, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 32 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SMU also took the #1 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at SMU are $47,478, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Southern Methodist 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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