2024 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region
148Colleges in the Far Western US Region
142,446Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
$27,412Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #1 in popularity, liberal arts general studies is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.
For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 148 schools in the Far Western US Region to determine which ones were the best for liberal arts general studies students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 142,446 degrees in liberal arts general studies during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Choosing a Great Liberal Arts General Studies School
Your choice of liberal arts general studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for liberal arts general studies schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Liberal Arts General Studies Rankings by Degree Level
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 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region list to help you make the college decision.
You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to 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.
When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
Best Schools for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Far Western US Region
The schools below may not offer all types of liberal arts degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
22 Top Far Western US Region Schools in Liberal Arts
Saint Mary's College of California is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in liberal arts general studies. Located in the suburb of Moraga, SMC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #188 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means SMC is a great college overall.
There were approximately 84 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at SMC in the most recent data year. Liberal Arts General Studies degree recipients from Saint Mary's College of California get an earnings boost of approximately $14,013 over the average income of liberal arts general studies graduates.
San Diego State University is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in liberal arts general studies. Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means SDSU is a great university overall.
There were roughly 246 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the liberal arts program report average early career earnings of $25,662.
Golden West College is a great option for students pursuing a degree in liberal arts general studies. Golden West College is a fairly large public college located in the suburb of Huntington Beach. A Best Colleges rank of #189 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Golden West College is a great college overall.
There were about 4346 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Golden West College in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, liberal arts degree recipients generally make about $22,411 at the beginning of their careers.
Loyola Marymount University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in liberal arts general studies. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #135 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Loyola Marymount is a great university overall.
There were roughly 15 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Marymount in the most recent year we have data available. Those liberal arts general studies students who get their degree from Loyola Marymount University earn $17,499 more than the average liberal arts grad.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public university located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo. A Best Colleges rank of #95 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a great university overall.
There were roughly 123 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the most recent data year. Those liberal arts general studies students who get their degree from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo make $11,329 more than the average liberal arts student.
National University is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of San Diego. A Best Colleges rank of #196 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means National University is a great university overall.
There were roughly 172 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at National University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the liberal arts general studies degree program at National University get $12,983 more than the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cuesta College is a public college with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #236 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Cuesta College is a great college overall.
There were about 2410 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Cuesta College in the most recent year we have data available. Those liberal arts general studies students who get their degree from Cuesta College earn $4,554 more than the typical liberal arts grad.
Located in the city of Portland, Portland Community College is a public college with a large student population. This college ranks 5th out of 30 schools for overall quality in the state of Oregon.
There were approximately 2682 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Portland Community College in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the liberal arts program report average early career income of $28,395.
CSUN is a very large public university located in the city of Northridge. This university ranks 49th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 336 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at CSUN in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the liberal arts program make an average of $29,216 in the first couple years of their career.
Wazzu is a fairly large public university located in the town of Pullman. A Best Colleges rank of #175 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Wazzu is a great university overall.
There were roughly 124 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Wazzu in the most recent year we have data available. Those liberal arts general studies students who get their degree from Washington State University earn $8,705 more than the standard liberal arts graduate.
Located in the city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #204 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means SFSU is a great university overall.
There were approximately 115 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at SFSU in the most recent year we have data available. Those liberal arts general studies students who get their degree from San Francisco State University make $7,238 more than the average liberal arts graduate.
Sac State is a very large public university located in the large city of Sacramento. A Best Colleges rank of #249 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Sac State is a great university overall.
There were about 194 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Sac State in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the liberal arts program state that they receive average early career earnings of $23,971.
Located in the city of Seattle, Seattle U is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #155 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Seattle U is a great university overall.
There were approximately 41 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Seattle U in the most recent year we have data available. Those liberal arts general studies students who get their degree from Seattle University receive $8,943 more than the standard liberal arts student.
Located in the city of Carson, CSUDH is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 98th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 176 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at CSUDH in the most recent data year. Liberal Arts General Studies degree recipients from California State University - Dominguez Hills earn a boost of about $2,011 above the typical income of liberal arts general studies majors.
Located in the large city of Portland, Portland State University is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 30 schools for overall quality in the state of Oregon.
There were approximately 237 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Portland State University in the most recent data year. Those liberal arts general studies students who get their degree from Portland State University earn $4,579 more than the average liberal arts graduate.
Riverside City College is a large public college located in the large city of Riverside. This college ranks 81st out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 1871 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Riverside City College in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the liberal arts program earn an average of $25,819 for their early career.
UW Seattle is a fairly large public university located in the city of Seattle. A Best Colleges rank of #37 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UW Seattle is a great university overall.
There were approximately 12 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, liberal arts degree recipients generally earn an average of $27,075 in their early careers.
Pierce College is a fairly large public college located in the city of Woodland Hills. This college ranks 67th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 1981 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Pierce College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the liberal arts program earn an average of $24,599 for their early career.
Located in the city of Valley Glen, LAVC is a public college with a large student population. This college ranks 77th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 1549 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at LAVC in the most recent data year. Liberal Arts General Studies degree recipients from Los Angeles Valley College receive an earnings boost of approximately $3,390 above the average earnings of liberal arts general studies majors.
Located in the suburb of Azusa, Azusa Pacific is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 43rd out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 101 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Azusa Pacific in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the liberal arts general studies program at Azusa Pacific University get $10,155 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
DUofC is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of San Rafael. This university ranks 88th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 14 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at DUofC in the most recent year we have data available. Those liberal arts general studies students who get their degree from Dominican University of California earn $7,913 more than the typical liberal arts graduate.
West Valley College is a moderately-sized public college located in the large suburb of Saratoga. This college ranks 73rd out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 678 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at West Valley College in the most recent year we have data available. Those liberal arts general studies students who get their degree from West Valley College make $7,173 more than the average liberal arts student.
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Far Western US Region award.
The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
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 the rest 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).
college factual
Your choice of liberal arts general studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for liberal arts general studies schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.
