2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies
1,067
Ranked Colleges
43,302
Degrees Awarded
$32,881
Avg Salary
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 43,302 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 1,067 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts general studies. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in liberal arts general studies.
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 “Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.
Top 27 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies
Out of the 1,067 schools in the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Excelsior College landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Albany, New York, and it awarded 1,621 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
Full Excelsior College Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Out of the 1,067 schools in the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Virginia is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 1,289 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Virginia - Main Campus Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Out of the 1,067 schools in the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern New Hampshire University landed the #3 spot on the list. SNHU is located in Manchester, New Hampshire and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,105 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Southern New Hampshire University
Out of the 1,067 schools in the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, New York University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 595 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full New York University Liberal Arts General Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s. UNT is located in Denton, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 560 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of North Texas Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Thomas Edison State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #6. Thomas Edison State University is a public institution located in Trenton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 550 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
Full TESU Liberal Arts General Studies Report
The Evergreen State College ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s list. The Evergreen State College is located in Olympia, Washington and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 541 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Evergreen
California State University - Fresno came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 534 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%.
Full Fresno State Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Northern Arizona University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Flagstaff, Arizona, this large public school handed out 498 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at NAU
Brigham Young University - Idaho did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Rexburg, Idaho, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 422 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at BYU - I
Arizona State University - Skysong came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. ASU - Skysong is located in Scottsdale, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 376 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Arizona State University - Skysong
California State University - Bakersfield landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. CSUB is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 361 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
Full California State University - Bakersfield Liberal Arts General Studies Report
George Mason University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s list. GMU is a large school located in Fairfax, Virginia that handed out 357 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.
Full GMU Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Columbia College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #14. Columbia College is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 356 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Columbia College
With a ranking of #15, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of Nebraska at Omaha is located in Omaha, Nebraska and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 346 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Nebraska at Omaha
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Norman, Oklahoma, and it awarded 333 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Oklahoma
California State University - Northridge came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 318 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at CSUN
University of Louisiana at Lafayette came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Louisiana at Lafayette is a fairly large school located in Lafayette, Louisiana that handed out 315 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at UL Lafayette
Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Teaneck, New Jersey, and it awarded 315 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus
With a ranking of #20, Florida International University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school handed out 307 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Florida International University
The University of Texas at Arlington did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #21. The University of Texas at Arlington is a public institution located in Arlington, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 295 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at The University of Texas at Arlington
Sarah Lawrence College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #21. This small school is located in Bronxville, New York, and it awarded 295 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Sarah Lawrence College Liberal Arts General Studies Report
California State University - Long Beach landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 293 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full California State University - Long Beach Liberal Arts General Studies Report
With a ranking of #24, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s list. The University of Texas at Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 273 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at The University of Texas at Austin
James Madison University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #25. James Madison University is a public institution located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 263 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at James Madison University
With a ranking of #25, Fresno Pacific University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 263 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 Fresno Pacific University
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #25. This large school is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and it awarded 263 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 more about Liberal Arts General Studies at OSU
Rest of the Best 48 in Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Bachelor’s
Not only did these schools make the top 48 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking: