by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 41 schools in the Far Western US Region to determine which ones were the best for liberal arts students pursuing a bachelor's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 5,584 bachelor's degrees in liberal arts during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The liberal studies bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. 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.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for liberal arts students working on their bachelor's degree.
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 Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in liberal arts.
Saint Mary's College of California is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in liberal arts. SMC is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Moraga.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts from Saint Mary’s College of California
California State University - Sacramento is a good decision for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in liberal arts. Located in the city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts from California State University - Sacramento
Thomas Aquinas College is a great option for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in liberal arts. TAC is a fairly small private not-for-profit college located in the rural area of Santa Paula.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts from Thomas Aquinas College
Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in liberal arts has to look into California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
SDSU is a fairly large public university located in the city of San Diego.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts from San Diego State University
SFSU is a very large public university located in the city of San Francisco.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts from San Francisco State University
Located in the city of Northridge, CSUN is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts from California State University - Northridge
Azusa Pacific is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Azusa.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts from Azusa Pacific University
Located in the midsize city of Chico, Chico State is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts from California State University - Chico
CSUMB is a medium-sized public university located in the midsize suburb of Seaside.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts from California State University - Monterey Bay
Explore the best liberal arts colleges for a specific state in the Far Western US Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| California | 643 | 5,636 |
| Washington | 521 | 654 |
| Oregon | 343 | 302 |
| Hawaii | 172 | 49 |
| Alaska | 87 | 1 |
Liberal Arts is one of 3 different types of Liberal Arts General Studies programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Humanities | 456 |
| General Studies | 139 |
| Individualized Studies | 72 |