College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s

215 Ranked Colleges
2,044 Degrees Awarded
$46,931 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master's

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 556,813 liberal arts general studies students received their degree, making the major the 1st most popular in the country. 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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 2,044 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s” ranking looked at 215 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in liberal arts general studies. To top this list, a school must have a successful liberal arts general studies program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts General Studies Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Liberal Arts Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s

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

1

Out of the 215 schools in the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Oklahoma is located in Norman, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 190 masters’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Oklahoma Liberal Arts General Studies Report

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s list. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 137 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.

Full UChicago Liberal Arts General Studies Report

3
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Out of the 215 schools in the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Stony Brook University landed the #3 spot on the list. SUNY Stony Brook is a large school located in Stony Brook, New York that handed out 121 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 SUNY Stony Brook Liberal Arts General Studies Report

4
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend New York University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s. New York University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 73 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at New York University

5

Out of the 215 schools in the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Tennessee Technological University landed the #5 spot on the list. Tennessee Tech University is a public institution located in Cookeville, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 61 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 Tennessee Technological University

6
DU crest
University of Denver
Denver, Colorado

With a ranking of #6, University of Denver did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s list. University of Denver is a fairly large school located in Denver, Colorado that handed out 52 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Denver Liberal Arts General Studies Report

7
Middle Tennessee State University crest
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Middle Tennessee State University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s ranking. This large school is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and it awarded 50 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Middle Tennessee State University Liberal Arts General Studies Report

8
The Graduate Center crest
The Graduate Center, CUNY
New York, New York

The Graduate Center, CUNY did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #8. The Graduate Center, CUNY is a medium-sized public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 48 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at The Graduate Center, CUNY

9

With a ranking of #9, Fort Hays State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s list. Fort Hays State University is a fairly large public school situated in Hays, Kansas. It awarded 44 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Full FHSU Liberal Arts General Studies Report

10
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s ranking. Johns Hopkins is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 41 masters’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 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad 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 Johns Hopkins University

11

With a ranking of #11, Texas Christian University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s list. TCU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fort Worth, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full TCU Liberal Arts General Studies Report

12
Austin Peay State University crest
Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, Tennessee

Austin Peay State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s ranking. Austin Peay State University is a public institution located in Clarksville, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 36 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Austin Peay State University

13
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #13. DePaul University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 masters’s 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%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at DePaul University

14

Southern Methodist University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s list. Southern Methodist University 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 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Southern Methodist University

15
Tiffin University crest
Tiffin University
Tiffin, Ohio

Tiffin University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s ranking. Tiffin, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s liberal arts degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

Full Tiffin University Liberal Arts General Studies Report

15

University of Dallas came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in Irving, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 31 diplomas to qualified masters’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 University of Dallas Liberal Arts General Studies Report

17

With a ranking of #17, University of North Carolina at Greensboro did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s list. UNC Greensboro is a fairly large school located in Greensboro, North Carolina that handed out 29 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at University of North Carolina at Greensboro

18
UofM crest
University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee

University of Memphis ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s list. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, this large public school handed out 26 degrees to qualified masters’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.

Full UofM Liberal Arts General Studies Report

18

Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s ranking. This large school is located in Scottsdale, Arizona, and it awarded 26 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at ASU - Skysong

20
St. John's Annapolis crest
St John's College
Annapolis, Maryland

St John’s College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #20. St John’s College is located in Annapolis, Maryland and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 masters’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 St. John’s Annapolis

20
Tennessee State University crest
Tennessee State University
Nashville, Tennessee

Tennessee State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s ranking. Tennessee State University is a public institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 25 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Tennessee State University

22
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

Dartmouth College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #22. This medium-sized school is located in Hanover, New Hampshire, and it awarded 24 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Dartmouth Liberal Arts General Studies Report

22

Saint Mary’s College of California ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s list. This small school is located in Moraga, California, and it awarded 24 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Saint Mary’s College of California

24
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 22 degrees to qualified masters’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Pennsylvania

24
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

American Public University System landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s ranking. American Public University System is a large private for-profit school situated in Charles Town, West Virginia. It awarded 22 masters’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full American Public University System Liberal Arts General Studies Report

Rest of the Best 33 in Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major for a Master’s

Not only did these schools make the top 33 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Wesleyan U crest
Wesleyan University
Middletown, Connecticut
26
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
28
28
30
St. John's crest
St. John's College
Santa Fe, New Mexico
31
31
33
Pacifica Graduate Institute crest
Pacifica Graduate Institute
Carpinteria, California

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options