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2024 Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Associate Degree Schools

760 Colleges in the United States
401,197 Associate Degrees
$24,682 Avg Early-Career Salary
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities is of the hottest associate degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #1 most popular major in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 760 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for liberal arts / sciences & humanities students pursuing a associate degree. Combined, these schools handed out 401,197 associate degrees in liberal arts / sciences & humanities to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities School for Your Associate Degree

Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Associate Degree Schools Your choice of liberal arts / sciences & humanities for getting your associate degree school matters. Important measures of a quality liberal arts / sciences & humanities program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of associate graduates during the early years of their career. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their associate degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for liberal arts / sciences & humanities students working on their associate degree.

More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities 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 Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Associate Degree Schools list to help you make the college decision.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities in the United States

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for liberal arts / sciences & humanities students seeking a an associate degree. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools for an Associate in Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,712 Annual Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in an associate degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities has to take a look at American Public University System. American Military University is a fairly large private for-profit university located in the town of Charles Town.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from American Public University System

2
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
2,512 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in an associate degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities has to check out University of Maryland Global Campus. Located in the suburb of Adelphi, UMGC is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of Maryland Global Campus

3
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
3,197 Annual Graduates

Utah Valley University is a wonderful choice for individuals interested in an associate degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. UVU is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Orem.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Utah Valley University

4
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
1,151 Annual Graduates

Any student who is interested in an associate degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities needs to check out Southern New Hampshire University. SNHU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized suburb of Manchester.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Southern New Hampshire University

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Montgomery College crest
Montgomery College
Rockville, MD
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
1,208 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Rockville, Montgomery College is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Montgomery College

6
Golden West College crest
Golden West College
Huntington Beach, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
2,255 Annual Graduates

Golden West College is a fairly large public college located in the suburb of Huntington Beach.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Golden West College

7
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
1,596 Annual Graduates

Northern Virginia Community College is a very large public college located in the suburb of Annandale.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Northern Virginia Community College

8
Vincennes University crest
Vincennes University
Vincennes, IN
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
570 Annual Graduates

Located in the remote town of Vincennes, Vincennes University is a public university with a large student population.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Vincennes University

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
821 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Grayslake, College of Lake County is a public college with a large student population.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from College of Lake County

10
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
1,171 Annual Graduates

Central Texas College is a moderately-sized public college located in the medium-sized suburb of Killeen.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Central Texas College

11
National University crest
National University
San Diego, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
144 Annual Graduates

National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of San Diego.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from National University

12
Cuesta College crest
Cuesta College
San Luis Obispo, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
326 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cuesta College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Cuesta College

13
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
938 Annual Graduates

USU is a very large public university located in the city of Logan.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Utah State University

14
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
2,682 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Portland, Portland Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Portland Community College

15
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
224 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Tampa, USF Tampa is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of South Florida - Main Campus

16
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
416 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Orlando, UCF is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of Central Florida

17
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
1,765 Annual Graduates

CNM is a large public college located in the large city of Albuquerque.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Central New Mexico Community College

18
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
771 Annual Graduates

Mesa Community College is a fairly large public college located in the large city of Mesa.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Mesa Community College

19
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
712 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Bloomington, Normandale Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Normandale Community College

20
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
1,209 Annual Graduates

Macomb Community College is a fairly large public college located in the city of Warren.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Macomb Community College

21
Columbia College Missouri crest
Columbia College
Columbia, MO
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
515 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Columbia, Columbia College Missouri is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Columbia College

22
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
784 Annual Graduates

HCC is a moderately-sized public college located in the midsize city of Columbia.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Howard Community College

23
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
187 Annual Graduates

Florida State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Tallahassee.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Florida State University

24
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
92 Annual Graduates

Located in the town of Plainview, Wayland Baptist University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Wayland Baptist University

25
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
292 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Newark, UD is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of Delaware

Rest of the Top 50 Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Associate Degree Schools

26
Northwest Vista College crest
Northwest Vista College
San Antonio, TX
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Pierce College crest
Los Angeles Pierce College
Woodland Hills, CA
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33
Salt Lake Community College crest
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake City, UT

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West Valley College crest
West Valley College
Saratoga, CA
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Additional Award Winners

This section shows the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Associate Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 760 different United States liberal arts / sciences & humanities schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 Anne Arundel Community College Arnold, MD
51 El Centro College Dallas, TX
52 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
53 San Antonio College San Antonio, TX
54 Georgia State University-Perimeter College Atlanta, GA
55 Community College of Rhode Island Warwick, RI
56 Front Range Community College Westminster, CO
57 Houston Community College Houston, TX
58 Suffolk County Community College Selden, NY
59 San Jose City College San Jose, CA
60 Union University Jackson, TN
61 Anoka-Ramsey Community College Coon Rapids, MN
62 Borough of Manhattan Community College New York, NY
63 Cerritos College Norwalk, CA
64 St Charles Community College Cottleville, MO
65 Southern Utah University Cedar City, UT
66 Brandman University Irvine, CA
67 Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Cincinnati, OH
68 City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College Chicago, IL
69 Los Angeles City College Los Angeles, CA
70 Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global Marion, IN
71 Beaufort County Community College Washington, NC
72 Arkansas State University - Main Campus Jonesboro, AR
73 College of Southern Nevada Las Vegas, NV
74 Central Arizona College Coolidge, AZ
75 Community College of Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
76 Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga, CA
77 Elgin Community College Elgin, IL
78 Prince George’s Community College Largo, MD
79 St Cloud Technical and Community College Saint Cloud, MN
80 Excelsior University Albany, NY
81 Valencia College Orlando, FL
82 Century College White Bear Lake, MN
83 Catawba Valley Community College Hickory, NC
84 University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH
85 Dakota College at Bottineau Bottineau, ND
86 NorthWest Arkansas Community College Bentonville, AR
87 Waubonsee Community College Sugar Grove, IL
88 University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA
89 City Colleges of Chicago - Olive-Harvey College Chicago, IL
90 Cleveland Community College Shelby, NC
91 Oakland Community College Auburn Hills, MI
92 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI
93 Touro College New York, NY
94 Bellevue College Bellevue, WA
95 Chesapeake College Wye Mills, MD
96 Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN
97 Chandler-Gilbert Community College Chandler, AZ
98 Eastern Arizona College Thatcher, AZ
99 Community College of Aurora Aurora, CO
100 North Hennepin Community College Brooklyn Park, MN
101 Orange Coast College Costa Mesa, CA
102 Austin Community College District Austin, TX
103 McHenry County College Crystal Lake, IL
104 Nassau Community College Garden City, NY
105 Broward College Fort Lauderdale, FL
106 Tarrant County College District Fort Worth, TX
107 Gaston College Dallas, NC
108 Lake Superior College Duluth, MN
109 Norco College Norco, CA
110 Phoenix College Phoenix, AZ
111 Aims Community College Greeley, CO
112 Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL
113 Odessa College Odessa, TX
114 Mt. Hood Community College Gresham, OR

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students that almost earned our Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Associate Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
115 College of DuPage Glen Ellyn, IL
116 Guilford Technical Community College Jamestown, NC
117 Blinn College Brenham, TX
118 Community College of Allegheny County Pittsburgh, PA
119 City Colleges of Chicago - Wilbur Wright College Chicago, IL
120 Oakton Community College Des Plaines, IL
121 Santa Ana College Santa Ana, CA
122 Ball State University Muncie, IN
123 Jackson State Community College Jackson, TN
124 Garden City Community College Garden City, KS
125 Moraine Valley Community College Palos Hills, IL
126 El Camino College Torrance, CA
127 Lincoln Land Community College Springfield, IL
128 Palm Beach State College Lake Worth, FL
129 Pikes Peak Community College Colorado Springs, CO
130 Triton College River Grove, IL
131 Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs, IA
132 The University of Montana Missoula, MT
133 Florida International University Miami, FL
134 Ventura College Ventura, CA
135 Los Angeles Mission College Sylmar, CA
136 Colorado Mountain College Glenwood Springs, CO
137 South Dakota State University Brookings, SD
138 Iowa Central Community College Fort Dodge, IA
139 Winona State University Winona, MN
140 Chemeketa Community College Salem, OR
141 Minneapolis Community and Technical College Minneapolis, MN
142 Ohio University - Athens Campus Athens, OH
143 Hillsborough Community College Tampa, FL
144 Central Lakes College - Brainerd Brainerd, MN
145 Hagerstown Community College Hagerstown, MD
146 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
147 MiraCosta College Oceanside, CA
148 Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus Portales, NM
149 Community College of Denver Denver, CO
150 Rochester Community and Technical College Rochester, MN
151 Lone Star College System The Woodlands, TX
152 Tallahassee Community College Tallahassee, FL

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities by Region

View the Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Associate Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

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Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Liberal Arts General Studies 401,197

Majors Similar to Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities

Related Major Annual Graduates
Social Sciences 26,277
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences 9,787
Communication & Journalism 8,996
English Language & Literature 3,602
Foreign Languages & Linguistics 2,877
History 2,558
Philosophy & Religious Studies 1,616
Theology & Religious Vocations 1,083
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies 936

Notes and References

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