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2026 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Rhode Island

[Liberal Arts General Studies](/majors/liberal-arts-sciences-humanities/liberal-arts-and-general-studies/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

College Factual analyzed 8 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value liberal arts general studies schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Rhode Island

2026 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Rhode Island

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the liberal arts general studies degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools

1

Community College Of Rhode Island
Warwick, RI

$5,550 In-State Tuition & Fees

$8,997 Avg Student Debt

$42,659 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in liberal arts general studies, no school beat Community College Of Rhode Island this year. Community College Of Rhode Island is a large public school located in the city of Warwick. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,550, while out-of-state students pay about $14,834. Typical student debt for liberal arts general studies graduates is $8,997. Soon after graduation, liberal arts general studies degree recipients from Community College Of Rhode Island generally make around $27,952. That is a strong return on a $8,997 median debt.

2

Salve Regina University
Newport, RI

$50,100 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,000 Avg Student Debt

$72,975 Median Earnings (10yr)

Salve Regina University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value liberal arts general studies schools. Located in the suburb of Newport, Salve Regina University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $50,100. Typical student debt for liberal arts general studies graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, liberal arts general studies degree recipients from Salve Regina University generally make around $56,636. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 68% of applicants are accepted.

View All Liberal Arts General Studies Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.

• 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.