Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

39 Ranked Colleges
6,337 Degrees Awarded
$11,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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 “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 559,661 liberal arts / sciences and humanities students received their degree, making the major the 3rd most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, liberal arts / sciences and humanities 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 / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,829 and $15,343 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,337 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 39 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the liberal arts / sciences and humanities program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools

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 Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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.

Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Texas. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNT is a large school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 618 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

UNT also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $9,082 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of North Texas.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of North Texas

#15 in overall quality

Out of the 39 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas Woman’s University landed the #2 spot on the list. TWU is a public institution located in Denton, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 238 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

TWU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Woman’s University is $7,050 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Texas Woman’s University

#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. OSU is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 265 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

OSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $9,962 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at OSU

#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Austin. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. UT Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 245 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $13,575 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The 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 The University of Texas at Austin Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#22 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at San Antonio. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. San Antonio, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 166 students in 2019-2020.

UTSA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at San Antonio is $11,109 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at The University of Texas at San Antonio

#25 in overall quality

Southeastern Oklahoma State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Southeastern Oklahoma State University is located in Durant, Oklahoma and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 90 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

Southeastern Oklahoma State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University is $6,704 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Southeastern Oklahoma State University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#7

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#10 in overall quality

Texas Tech University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Texas Tech University is a large public school situated in Lubbock, Texas. It awarded 237 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $30-$48k list, Texas Tech has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech University is $13,326 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Texas Tech

#23 in overall quality

Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. ENMU - Main Campus is located in Portales, New Mexico and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 148 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

ENMU - Main Campus not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $8,219 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend ENMU - Main Campus.

Full ENMU - Main Campus Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#9

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma
#24 in overall quality

Northeastern State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Northeastern State University is a medium-sized school located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma that handed out 89 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

NSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern State University is $7,543 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full NSU Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

Northwestern Oklahoma State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. NWOSU is a small school located in Alva, Oklahoma that handed out 31 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,767 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NWOSU.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at NWOSU

#21 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 102 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Tempe is $8,921 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Arizona State University - Tempe

#12

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#19 in overall quality

University of Houston ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school handed out 58 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

UH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $9,925 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UH.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full University of Houston Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#13

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona
#14 in overall quality

Northern Arizona University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Flagstaff, Arizona, and it awarded 546 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $30-$48k list, NAU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NAU is $9,799 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Northern Arizona University

#14

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#16 in overall quality

Texas State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in San Marcos, Texas, and it awarded 164 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas State also took the #16 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $12,292 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas State.

Full Texas State Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#14

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona
#9 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Skysong came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Arizona State University - Skysong is a large public school situated in Scottsdale, Arizona. It awarded 342 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Skysong, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend ASU - Skysong is $12,020 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Arizona State University - Skysong

#7 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Arlington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. UT Arlington is a large school located in Arlington, Texas that handed out 312 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Arlington, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Arlington is $12,974 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at The University of Texas at Arlington

#16

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

Lamar University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lamar University is a public institution located in Beaumont, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 146 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lamar University is $10,631 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Lamar University

New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. This fairly large school is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and it awarded 166 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,006 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend New Mexico State University - Main Campus.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at NMSU Main Campus

#18

East Central University

Ada, Oklahoma

East Central University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. East Central University is a small public school situated in Ada, Oklahoma. It awarded 27 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for ECU is $8,259 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at East Central University

With a ranking of #19, Texas A&M University - Commerce did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Texas A&M University - Commerce is a public institution located in Commerce, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 133 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,580 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas A&M University - Commerce.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Texas A&M University - Commerce

#20

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas
#18 in overall quality

West Texas A&M University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. West Texas A&M University is a fairly large public school situated in Canyon, Texas. It awarded 202 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

West Texas A&M University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $10,146 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend West Texas A&M University.

Full West Texas A&M University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#21

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas
#20 in overall quality

Sam Houston State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SHSU is located in Huntsville, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 54 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SHSU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $11,634 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Sam Houston State University.

Full SHSU Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#3 in overall quality

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. This large school is located in Norman, Oklahoma, and it awarded 336 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma is $17,285 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#17 in overall quality

University of Central Oklahoma landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Central Oklahoma is located in Edmond, Oklahoma and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 207 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

UCO did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCO is $13,381 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at UCO

#24

Oklahoma City University

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
#4 in overall quality

Oklahoma City University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 69 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

OCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend OCU is $19,034 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at OCU

#25

University of St. Thomas

Houston, Texas
#5 in overall quality

University of St. Thomas came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of St. Thomas is located in Houston, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 77 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

UST also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend UST is $16,539 for southwest region bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of St. Thomas

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Credits

Featured Liberal Arts Schools

Find Schools Near You