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2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

467 Ranked Colleges
44,236 Degrees Awarded
$4,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 559,661 liberal arts general studies students received their degree, making the major the 1st most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, liberal arts general studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $26,786 and had an average of $16,538 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 44,236 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 467 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts general studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great liberal arts general studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the liberal arts general studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts General Studies Schools

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 Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies (Income $0-$30k)

#1

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. UPenn is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 10 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn also took the #7 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,181 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at UPenn

#2

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 467 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a fairly large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 10 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, MIT has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,535 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Massachusetts Institute of Technology Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#3

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $2,712 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Chicago Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#4

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Johns Hopkins University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 2 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins University is $3,526 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Johns Hopkins University

#5

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 467 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgetown University landed the #5 spot on the list. Georgetown University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 27 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Georgetown also took the #4 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Georgetown is $5,248 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Georgetown University Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#6

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

Harvard University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 34 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

Harvard also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $2,973 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Harvard.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Harvard University

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also took the #23 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,166 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at U-M

#8

Wesleyan University

Middletown, Connecticut

With a ranking of #8, Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Middletown, Connecticut, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

Wesleyan U also took the #24 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,967 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wesleyan U.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Wesleyan University

#9

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. The City College of New York is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 104 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The City College of New York is $704 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at The City College of New York

#10

Baruch College

New York, New York

Baruch College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Baruch College is $1,858 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Baruch College Liberal Arts General Studies Report

With a ranking of #11, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school handed out 260 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

USF Tampa also claimed a top spot on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $3,950 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USF Tampa.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Liberal Arts General Studies Report

Top 25% in overall quality

Texas A & M University - Central Texas came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Killeen, Texas, this small public school handed out 52 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Texas A & M University - Central Texas

#13

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Orlando, Florida, this large public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

UCF excels when it comes to liberal arts quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,211 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCF.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at UCF

#14

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

NC State also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $7,285 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Carolina State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at NC State

With a ranking of #15, Florida International University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. FIU is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 368 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida International University is $5,002 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full Florida International University Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#16

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 238 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, IU Bloomington is in the top on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $4,969 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at IU Bloomington

#17

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
#15 in overall quality

Emory University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. This fairly large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k list, Emory has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Emory is $11,468 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Emory

With a ranking of #18, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 180 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $1,379 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Liberal Arts General Studies Report

With a ranking of #19, Brigham Young University - Idaho did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. BYU - I is located in Rexburg, Idaho and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 638 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $2,637 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Brigham Young University - Idaho

With a ranking of #20, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW Seattle also did well on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $7,850 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at UW Seattle

John Jay College of Criminal Justice landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice is $771 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at John Jay

#22

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia

American Public University System did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. American Public University System is a large private for-profit school situated in Charles Town, West Virginia. It awarded 118 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

American Military University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for American Public University System is $10,013 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at American Public University System

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 235 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,410 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stan State.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Stan State

#24

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas

University of North Texas ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Texas is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 618 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UNT also claimed a top spot on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UNT is $8,521 for bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at UNT

#25

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $5,360 for Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Florida State University Liberal Arts General Studies Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#29

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky
#33

Texas Woman's University

Denton, Texas
#35

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin
#36

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#37

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia
#38

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#43

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida
#44

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#46

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#49

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
52 College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY
53 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN
54 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
55 Ball State University Muncie, IN
56 Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI
57 Indiana University - South Bend South Bend, IN
58 West Virginia University Institute of Technology Beckley, WV
59 California State University - Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA
60 Marshall University Huntington, WV
61 Indiana University - Kokomo Kokomo, IN
62 University of Mississippi University, MS
63 University of Wisconsin - Platteville Platteville, WI
64 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
65 Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI
Rank College Location
66 Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus Portales, NM
67 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
68 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE
68 Fort Hays State University Hays, KS
70 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
71 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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