2021 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities
Finding the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities School for You
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities is the #14 most popular major in the country with 45,514 bachelor's degrees awarded in 2018-2019.
For this year's Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities ranking, we looked at 289 colleges that offer a bachelor's in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. To us, 'best value' doesn't just mean the school with the lowest overall costs. We are more focused on liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools that offer a high quality education at a price lower that other schools of similar academic excellence.
To determine the average cost, we look at total expenses - such as tuition, fees, room and board, books, and other related expenses - and then subtract the average financial award a student receives. Knowing this amount can help you determine how much you may have to borrow in loans or take out of savings. Depending on your income and other factors, the cost for you to attend a particular school may be more or less.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique 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.
2021 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the United States
Check out the liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your money.
Top 25 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools
Our rankings recognize St John's College as the #1 school in this year's rankings. Located in the large suburb of Annapolis, St. John's Annapolis is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. St. John's Annapolis also took the #1 spot in our Best Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities rankings.
It takes the average student at St. John’s Annapolis about 4.1 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $12,430. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s Annapolis be around $50,590. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Soka University of America comes in at #2 in this year's ranking. Located in the suburb of Aliso Viejo, Soka University is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population. Soka University also took the #2 spot in our Best Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities rankings.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Soka University is 4.1 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $16,398. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Soka University is $66,412. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Soka University of America Report
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St. John's College comes in at #3 in this year's ranking. St. John's is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Santa Fe. St. John's also took the #6 spot in our Best Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities rankings.
At St. John’s, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.2 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $14,375. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s be around $60,087. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #4 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools. Located in the medium-sized city of Provo, BYU is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, BYU also is in the top 5% of our Best Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities ranking.
The average student at BYU graduates in less than 5.2 years, and it costs about $12,239 per year to attend the school. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from BYU be around $64,132. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Brigham Young University - Provo Report
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Our rankings recognize William Jewell College as the #5 school in this year's rankings. Located in the large suburb of Liberty, William Jewell is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population. William Jewell also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities list. It's in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at William Jewell is 4.1 years, and it costs about $24,544 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the William Jewell is $101,367. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at William Jewell College Report
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Mercer University landed the #6 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools. Mercer is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Macon.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at Mercer to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $19,614. This means that the average student pays around $84,144 to get a bachelor’s degree from Mercer. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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Our rankings recognize University of South Florida - Main Campus as the #7 school in this year's rankings. Located in the large city of Tampa, USF Tampa is a public school with a very large student population. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, USF Tampa also is in the top 10% of our Best Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities ranking.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at USF Tampa to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $23,095. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from USF Tampa be around $99,309. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Our rankings recognize South Dakota State University as the #8 school in this year's rankings. Located in the remote town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public school with a large student population.
It takes the average student at South Dakota State about 4.4 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $20,370. This means that the average student pays around $89,628 to get a bachelor’s degree from South Dakota State. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Harding University landed the #9 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools. Harding is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Searcy.
At Harding, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.4 years, and it costs about $20,917 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Harding is $90,989. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Eastern Illinois University landed the #10 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools. Located in the distant town of Charleston, EIU is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at EIU is 4.4 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $16,976. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from EIU be around $75,034. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Thomas Aquinas College landed the #11 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools. TAC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Santa Paula. TAC did well in our quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities list.
It takes the average student at TAC about 4.2 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $24,861. This means that the average student pays around $103,670 to get a bachelor’s degree from TAC. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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New College of Florida comes in at #12 in this year's ranking. New College is a fairly small public school located in the city of Sarasota. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, New College also is in the top 15% of our Best Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities ranking.
It takes the average student at New College about 4.1 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $27,551. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the New College is $113,786. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Western Illinois University earned the #13 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at WIU to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $17,615. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from WIU be around $78,211. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Bridgewater College landed the #14 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools. Located in the small suburb of Bridgewater, Bridgewater is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
It takes the average student at Bridgewater about 4.1 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $26,429. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Bridgewater is about $108,095. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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University of Illinois at Springfield comes in at #15 in this year's ranking. UIS is a small public school located in the midsize city of Springfield.
At UIS, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.4 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $20,739. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the UIS is $91,044. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of Illinois at Springfield Report
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Grand Valley State University earned the #16 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the large suburb of Allendale, GVSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
It takes the average student at GVSU about 4.5 years to graduate, and it costs about $23,233 per year to attend the school. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from GVSU is $105,245. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Grand Valley State University Report
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Union University comes in at #17 in this year's ranking. Located in the city of Jackson, Union U is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population. Union U excels when it comes to quality. It's ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities list.
It takes about 4.1 years for the average student at Union U to complete their degree, and it costs about $23,968 per year to attend the school. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Union U is $98,029. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Union University Report
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Indiana Wesleyan University landed the #18 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools. Located in the town of Marion, IWU is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
It takes the average student at IWU about 4.2 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $21,484. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from IWU is about $90,018. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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Columbia College landed the #19 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools. Located in the medium-sized city of Columbia, Columbia College Missouri is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
It takes the average student at Columbia College Missouri about 4.0 years to graduate, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $19,593. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Columbia College Missouri is $78,960. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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University of North Dakota landed the #20 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value liberal arts / sciences and humanities schools. Located in the city of Grand Forks, UND is a public school with a large student population. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UND also is in the top 20% of our Best Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities ranking.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at UND is 4.6 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $23,788. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from UND is $109,187. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Our rankings recognize Texas Tech University as the #21 school in this year's rankings. Located in the city of Lubbock, Texas Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population.
At Texas Tech, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $23,296. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech is $105,298. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Texas Tech University Report
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University of Northern Iowa earned the #22 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the city of Cedar Falls, UNI is a public school with a large student population.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at UNI to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $24,198. This means that the average student pays around $107,439 to get a bachelor’s degree from UNI. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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Texas Woman's University earned the #23 spot in our 2021 rankings. TWU is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Denton.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at TWU is 4.6 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $21,089. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the TWU is $97,431. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Texas Woman’s University Report
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The #24 spot in this year's ranking belongs to University of Memphis. Located in the large city of Memphis, U of Memphis is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average student at U of Memphis graduates in less than 4.7 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $21,599. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the U of Memphis is $101,083. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of Memphis Report
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Ferris State University comes in at #25 in this year's ranking. Ferris is a large public school located in the distant town of Big Rapids.
The average student at Ferris graduates in less than 4.6 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $15,909. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Ferris is about $73,022. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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Additional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | West Virginia University Institute of Technology | Beckley, WV |
| 45 | University of North Texas | Denton, TX |
| 46 | Illinois State University | Normal, IL |
| 47 | SUNY Cortland | Cortland, NY |
| 48 | Arkansas State University - Main Campus | Jonesboro, AR |
| 49 | Ball State University | Muncie, IN |
| 50 | University of Central Florida | Orlando, FL |
| 51 | Arizona State University - Skysong | Scottsdale, AZ |
| 52 | Fort Hays State University | Hays, KS |
| 53 | University of Central Missouri | Warrensburg, MO |
| 54 | Florida International University | Miami, FL |
| 55 | Arizona State University - Polytechnic | Mesa, AZ |
| 56 | University of Wisconsin - Whitewater | Whitewater, WI |
| 57 | Pittsburg State University | Pittsburg, KS |
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities by Region
View the Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
Rankings in Majors Related to Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts General Studies | 45,514 |
View All Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Related Majors >
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Visual & Performing Arts | 94,501 |
| English Language & Literature | 42,686 |
| Foreign Languages & Linguistics | 24,008 |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | 12,372 |
| Theology & Religious Vocations | 10,962 |
View All Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Related Majors >
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Jacques Sablet (Switzerland, Morges, 1749-1803).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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