2025 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools in California
If you pursue a associate degree in
liberal arts general studies, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #1 most popular program in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 50 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 46,241 associate degrees in liberal arts general studies during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great Liberal Arts General Studies School for Your Associate Degree
The liberal arts associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality liberal arts 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 associate degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
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
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on liberal arts general studies students vs. other majors.
- Major Demand - The number of liberal arts general studies students who choose to seek a associate degree at the school.
- Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
- Student Debt - How easy is it for liberal arts general studies to pay back their student loans after receiving their associate degree.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized liberal arts general studies related body.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for liberal arts general studies students working on their associate degree.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 General Studies Associate Degree Schools in California list to help you make the college decision.
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Featured Liberal Arts General Studies Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
AA in Liberal Arts
Strengthen your communication and critical-thinking skills with this online associate in liberal arts degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
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Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Liberal Arts General Studies in California
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in liberal arts general studies. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
10 Top California Schools for an Associate in Liberal Arts
It's difficult to beat Irvine Valley College if you wish to pursue an associate degree in liberal arts general studies. Located in the city of Irvine, Irvine Valley College is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Irvine Valley College
Every student pursuing a degree in an associate degree in liberal arts general studies needs to check out Modesto Junior College. MJC is a fairly large public college located in the medium-sized city of Modesto.
Students who graduate with their associate from the liberal arts program report average early career income of $28,387.
More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Modesto Junior College
Santiago Canyon College is a good choice for students pursuing an associate degree in liberal arts general studies. Located in the city of Orange, SCC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Associate recipients from the liberal arts general studies degree program at Santiago Canyon College make $9,731 more than the average graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Santiago Canyon College
Any student who is interested in an associate degree in liberal arts general studies has to check out Golden West College. Located in the large suburb of Huntington Beach, Golden West College is a public college with a large student population.More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Golden West College
Located in the suburb of Mission Viejo, Saddleback College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Soon after graduating, liberal arts associate recipients typically earn an average of $16,740 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Saddleback College
Located in the medium-sized suburb of San Jacinto, MSJC is a public college with a large student population.
Soon after graduating, liberal arts associate recipients generally make around $23,923 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Mt. San Jacinto College
Cerritos College is a fairly large public college located in the large suburb of Norwalk.
Students who graduate with their associate from the liberal arts program report average early career earnings of $18,208.
More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Cerritos College
Located in the large city of Riverside, Riverside City College is a public college with a very large student population.
Students who graduate with their associate from the liberal arts program report average early career earnings of $27,524.
More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Riverside City College
Located in the suburb of Saratoga, West Valley College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Soon after graduation, liberal arts associate recipients typically earn about $26,161 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from West Valley College
Delta is a large public college located in the city of Stockton.
Associate recipients from the liberal arts general studies major at San Joaquin Delta College get $5,074 above the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from San Joaquin Delta College