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2024 Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor's Degree Schools

380 Colleges in the United States
43,302 Bachelor's Degrees
$32,881 Avg Early-Career Salary
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #14 most popular bachelor's degree program in the country. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 380 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for liberal arts / sciences & humanities students pursuing a bachelor's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 43,302 bachelor's degrees in liberal arts / sciences & humanities during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor's Degree Schools Your choice of liberal arts / sciences & humanities for getting your bachelor's 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

The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a school'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

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's 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 bachelor's 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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.


 

Best Schools for Bachelor’s 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 a bachelor's 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 a Bachelor's in Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
273 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities has to check out The University of Texas at Austin. UT Austin is a fairly large public university located in the city of Austin.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from The University of Texas at Austin

2
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
595 Annual Graduates

New York University is a wonderful option for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. NYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from New York University

3
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
32 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities has to look into Georgetown University. Georgetown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Georgetown University

4
Bentley crest
Bentley University
Waltham, MA
120 Annual Graduates

It is hard to beat Bentley University if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. Located in the city of Waltham, Bentley is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Bentley University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
20 Annual Graduates

UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of Chicago

6
9 Annual Graduates

MIT is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Massachusetts Institute of Technology

7
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
9 Annual Graduates

UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of Pennsylvania

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
55 Annual Graduates

SMU is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Dallas.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Southern Methodist University

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
333 Annual Graduates

University of Oklahoma is a very large public university located in the suburb of Norman.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Raleigh, NC State is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from North Carolina State University

11
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 Annual Graduates

Drexel is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Drexel University

12
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
48 Annual Graduates

Villanova is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Villanova.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Villanova University

13
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
93 Annual Graduates

DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from DePaul University

14
36 Annual Graduates

Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of Notre Dame

15
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
1,105 Annual Graduates

SNHU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized suburb of Manchester.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Southern New Hampshire University

16
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
97 Annual Graduates

UCONN is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Storrs.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of Connecticut

17
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
116 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Lawrence, KU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of Kansas

18
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
232 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 bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of South Florida - Main Campus

19
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
218 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of Iowa

20
Providence crest
Providence College
Providence, RI
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
7 Annual Graduates

Providence is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Providence.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Providence College

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
357 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from George Mason University

22
Basic Certificate Highest Degree Type
7 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Purdue University - Main Campus

23
Wesleyan U crest
Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
12 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Middletown, Wesleyan U is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Wesleyan University

24
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,621 Annual Graduates

Excelsior University is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Albany.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Excelsior University

25
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
186 Annual Graduates

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

Rest of the Top Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor's Degree Schools

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29
Columbia College Missouri crest
Columbia College
Columbia, MO
30
31
32

33
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA

34
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL
35
36
37
38
39
40
41

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43
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45
St. Joe's crest
Saint Joseph's University
Philadelphia, PA
46
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49
St. John's Annapolis crest
St John's College
Annapolis, MD
50

Additional Award Winners

This list shows the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 380 different United States liberal arts / sciences & humanities schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 The King’s College New York, NY
52 Seton Hall University South Orange, NJ
53 Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY
54 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
55 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
56 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
57 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
58 Ball State University Muncie, IN
59 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN
60 Washington State University Pullman, WA
61 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
62 National University San Diego, CA
63 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
64 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
65 Marshall University Huntington, WV
66 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
67 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK
68 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
69 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
70 Seattle University Seattle, WA
71 University of Mary Bismarck, ND
72 Montana State University Bozeman, MT
73 California State University - Dominguez Hills Carson, CA
74 Lee University Cleveland, TN
75 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
76 Portland State University Portland, OR

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities by Region

View the Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor's 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 43,302

Majors Similar to Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities

Related Major Annual Graduates
Social Sciences 154,807
Communication & Journalism 94,757
English Language & Literature 38,845
History 25,656
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences 22,702
Foreign Languages & Linguistics 22,489
Philosophy & Religious Studies 14,685
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies 10,378
Theology & Religious Vocations 8,022

Notes and References

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