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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (With Aid)

468 Ranked Colleges
44,236 Degrees Awarded
$8,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

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 For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 3rd of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 559,661 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 44,236 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 468 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs that also have a lower cost than 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (With Aid)

Top 25% in overall quality

Out of the 468 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A & M University - Central Texas landed the #1 spot on the list. Killeen, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Texas A & M University - Central Texas

#2

The City College of New York

New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The City College of New York. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. CCNY is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 104 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for The City College of New York is $2,385 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

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

#3

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Public University System. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Charles Town, West Virginia, this large private for-profit school handed out 118 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

American Military University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for American Military University is $10,222 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at American Military University

#4

Baruch College

New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Baruch College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,562 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid per year to attend Baruch College.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Baruch College

Out of the 468 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #5 spot on the list. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 180 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,768 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at California State University - Los Angeles

#6

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid list, MIT has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MIT is $16,636 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Top 15% in overall quality

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 260 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, USF Tampa is also in the top of our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $8,355 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of South Florida - Main Campus

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school handed out 235 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,019 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Stan State Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

Top 25% in overall quality

California State University - Northridge ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 320 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $8,414 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

The low 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 / Sciences & Humanities at CSUN

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 485 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fresno Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

Top 20% in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW Seattle also did well on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $13,297 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#6 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. The University of Texas at Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 245 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

UT Austin also took the #6 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $18,023 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at UT Austin

John Jay College of Criminal Justice did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. John Jay is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend John Jay is $2,532 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 150 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $4,215 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#15

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 103 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - Green Bay is also in the top of our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,395 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at UW - Green Bay

Indiana University - Northwest ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana University - Northwest is a small school located in Gary, Indiana that handed out 55 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,755 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - Northwest.

Full IU Northwest Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#17

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Central Florida ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UCF is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 13 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UCF is in the top on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Florida is $10,274 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

Florida International University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. FIU is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 368 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend FIU is $7,296 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Florida International University

#19

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#21 in overall quality

North Carolina State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 27 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

NC State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $16,458 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at North Carolina State University

#20

Charter Oak State College

New Britain, Connecticut
Top 15% in overall quality

Charter Oak State College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Charter Oak State College is a small school located in New Britain, Connecticut that handed out 188 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Charter Oak State College is in the top on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $10,724 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid per year to attend Charter Oak State College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Charter Oak State College

Brigham Young University - Idaho did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Brigham Young University - Idaho is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Rexburg, Idaho. It awarded 638 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,167 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid per year to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Brigham Young University - Idaho

#22

Texas Woman's University

Denton, Texas

Texas Woman’s University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 238 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,617 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid per year to attend Texas Woman’s University.

Full Texas Woman’s University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

Southeastern Oklahoma State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. 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.

It costs about $8,237 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid per year to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

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

#24

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 315 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#25

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
Top 10% in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 238 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, IU Bloomington also did well on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $13,253 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Indiana University - Bloomington

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky
#30

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, New York
#31

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee
#33

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#35

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina
#37

McNeese State University

Lake Charles, Louisiana
#38

Maria College of Albany

Albany, New York
#40

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
#41

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, North Carolina
#43

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma
#44

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia
#46

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#47

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida
#48

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Governors State University University Park, IL
52 Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus Teaneck, NJ
53 Louisiana State University - Shreveport Shreveport, LA
54 Fort Hays State University Hays, KS
55 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
56 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI
57 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
58 Shepherd University Shepherdstown, WV
59 Indiana University - South Bend South Bend, IN
60 North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC
61 Ball State University Muncie, IN
62 University of Louisiana at Monroe Monroe, LA
63 Southeastern Louisiana University Hammond, LA
64 The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX
65 Purdue University Northwest Hammond, IN
Rank College Location
66 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
67 Indiana University - East Richmond, IN
68 West Virginia University at Parkersburg Parkersburg, WV
69 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
70 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
71 University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA

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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.

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