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

42 Colleges in California
6,052 Bachelor's Degrees
$29,044 Avg Early-Career Salary
a bachelor's degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #14 out of 38 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

College Factual looked at 42 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 6,052 bachelor's 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 Bachelor's Degree

Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor's Degree Schools in California 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. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

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

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools 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

The liberal arts / sciences & humanities school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor's Degree Schools in California.

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.


 

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities in California

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities.

10 Top California Schools for a Bachelor's in Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
60 Annual Graduates

Saint Mary's College of California is a wonderful choice for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. Located in the suburb of Moraga, SMC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Saint Mary’s College of California

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
237 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat San Diego State University if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. Located in the large city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from San Diego State University

3
15 Annual Graduates

Loyola Marymount University is a wonderful option for students interested in a bachelor's degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. Located in the city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Loyola Marymount University

4
123 Annual Graduates

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
318 Annual Graduates

CSUN is a fairly large public university located in the city of Northridge.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from California State University - Northridge

6
National University crest
National University
San Diego, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
28 Annual Graduates

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

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
111 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from San Francisco State University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
191 Annual Graduates

Sac State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Sacramento.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from California State University - Sacramento

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
166 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Carson, CSUDH is a public university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from California State University - Dominguez Hills

10
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
165 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Irvine, Brandman is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Brandman University

Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 34 893
Hawaii 30 82
Oregon 30 318
Nevada 30 52
Alaska 29 3

View All Rankings >

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Liberal Arts General Studies 6,052

Related Major Annual Graduates
Social Sciences 27,400
Communication & Journalism 10,800
English Language & Literature 4,344
History 3,102
Foreign Languages & Linguistics 3,014
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences 2,838
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies 2,654
Philosophy & Religious Studies 1,697
Theology & Religious Vocations 446

Notes and References

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