by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual reviewed 34 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for bachelor's degree seekers in the field of liberal arts. Combined, these schools handed out 4,749 bachelor's degrees in liberal arts to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of liberal arts for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality liberal studies program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
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 take this into account we include a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
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 students working on their bachelor's degree.
The liberal studies 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 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.
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 a good option for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in liberal arts. Located in the large 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 from Saint Mary’s College of California
Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in liberal arts needs to check out California State University - Sacramento. Sac State is a very large public university located in the large city of Sacramento.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts from California State University - Sacramento
Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in liberal arts needs to check out Thomas Aquinas College. Located in the rural area of Santa Paula, TAC is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts from Thomas Aquinas College
It's difficult to beat California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in liberal arts. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public university located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts from San Diego State University
Located in the large city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts from San Francisco State University
CSUN is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Northridge.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts from California State University - Northridge
Located in the large suburb of Azusa, Azusa Pacific is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts from Azusa Pacific University
Chico State is a large public university located in the medium-sized city of Chico.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts from California State University - Chico
Located in the medium-sized suburb of Seaside, CSUMB is a public university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts from California State University - Monterey Bay
Explore all the Best Liberal Arts Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 521 | 654 |
| Oregon | 343 | 302 |
| Hawaii | 172 | 49 |
| Alaska | 87 | 1 |
One of 3 majors within the Liberal Arts General Studies area of study, Liberal Arts has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Humanities | 261 |
| Individualized Studies | 71 |
| General Studies | 61 |