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2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

312 Ranked Colleges
163,228 Degrees Awarded
$6,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

With 556,813 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, liberal arts general studies is the 1st most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, liberal arts general studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,337 and had an average of $17,430 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 163,228 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $25,841 and $16,920 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 312 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts general studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent liberal arts general studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the liberal arts general studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in the Southeast Region (With Aid)

1
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend American Public University System. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. American Military University is a large school located in Charles Town, West Virginia that handed out 1,837 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

American Military University also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend American Public University System is $10,563 for southeast region liberal arts students with aid.

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 Military University

2
Indian River State College crest
Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indian River State College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. Indian River State College is a public institution located in Fort Pierce, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,841 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Indian River State College is $3,786 for southeast region liberal arts students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Indian River State College

3
Palm Beach State College crest
Palm Beach State College
Lake Worth, Florida

Out of the 312 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Palm Beach State College landed the #3 spot on the list. Palm Beach State College is a large school located in Lake Worth, Florida that handed out 4,062 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Palm Beach State College also claimed a top spot on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Palm Beach State College is $9,481 for Southeast Region Liberal Arts students with aid.

Full Palm Beach State College Liberal Arts General Studies Report

4

Out of the 312 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 470 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region liberal arts students with aid list, USF Tampa has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $8,346 for Southeast Region Liberal Arts students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at University of South Florida - Main Campus

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hillsborough Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Hillsborough Community College is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3,242 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

HCC excels when it comes to liberal arts quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend HCC is $2,949 for Southeast Region Liberal Arts students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Hillsborough Community College

6
Valencia College crest
Valencia College
Orlando, Florida

Valencia College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Orlando, Florida, this large public school awarded 7,810 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Valencia College also did well on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Valencia College is $5,354 for southeast region liberal arts students with aid.

Full Valencia College Liberal Arts General Studies Report

7

Florida State College at Jacksonville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Jacksonville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 3,217 students in 2020-2021.

FSCJ excels when it comes to liberal arts quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $3,129 for southeast region liberal arts students with aid per year to attend Florida State College at Jacksonville.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at FSCJ

8
Forsyth Tech crest
Forsyth Technical Community College
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Forsyth Technical Community College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Forsyth Technical Community College is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 529 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, Forsyth Tech is in the top on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $5,388 for Southeast Region Liberal Arts students with aid per year to attend Forsyth Technical Community College.

Full Forsyth Tech Liberal Arts General Studies Report

9

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,469 for southeast region liberal arts students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at UNC Chapel Hill

10

With a ranking of #10, Northern Virginia Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Northern Virginia Community College is a public institution located in Annandale, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3,606 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region liberal arts students with aid list, Northern Virginia Community College has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Virginia Community College is $9,452 for Southeast Region Liberal Arts students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Northern Virginia Community College

11
Cleveland Community College crest
Cleveland Community College
Shelby, North Carolina

Cleveland Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cleveland Community College is a public institution located in Shelby, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 260 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Cleveland Community College also did well on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $-141 for southeast region liberal arts students with aid per year to attend Cleveland Community College. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Cleveland Community College

12
Tallahassee Community College crest
Tallahassee Community College
Tallahassee, Florida

Tallahassee Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Tallahassee Community College is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2,197 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Tallahassee Community College is $3,809 for southeast region liberal arts students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Tallahassee Community College

13
FTCC crest
Fayetteville Technical Community College
Fayetteville, North Carolina

With a ranking of #13, Fayetteville Technical Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Fayetteville Technical Community College is located in Fayetteville, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 844 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, FTCC also did well on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend FTCC is $4,337 for southeast region liberal arts students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at FTCC

14
Wake Technical Community College crest
Wake Technical Community College
Raleigh, North Carolina

Wake Technical Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Wake Technical Community College is a large school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 1,679 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Wake Technical Community College also claimed a top spot on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wake Technical Community College is $6,767 for southeast region liberal arts students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Wake Technical Community College

15
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 51 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

NC State also took the #3 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $16,411 for southeast region liberal arts students with aid per year to attend North Carolina State University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 undergraduate students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at NC State

16

Wallace Community College, Dothan landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wallace, Dothan is a public institution located in Dothan, Alabama. The school has a small population, and it awarded 331 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $1,384 for southeast region liberal arts students with aid per year to attend Wallace, Dothan.

Full Wallace, Dothan Liberal Arts General Studies Report

17
SPC crest
St Petersburg College
Clearwater, Florida

St Petersburg College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. St Petersburg College is a large school located in Clearwater, Florida that handed out 3,158 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,668 for Southeast Region Liberal Arts students with aid per year to attend St Petersburg College.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at St Petersburg College

18

Georgia State University-Perimeter College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 2,419 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Georgia State University-Perimeter College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $9,316 for southeast region liberal arts students with aid per year to attend Georgia State University-Perimeter College.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Georgia State University-Perimeter College

19

Eastern Florida State College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cocoa, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 1,829 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,743 for Southeast Region Liberal Arts students with aid per year to attend EFSC.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at EFSC

20
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College crest
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College
Salisbury, North Carolina

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is a medium-sized school located in Salisbury, North Carolina that handed out 490 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is $2,602 for southeast region liberal arts students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College

21
Marshall University crest
Marshall University
Huntington, West Virginia

Marshall University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. This fairly large school is located in Huntington, West Virginia, and it awarded 191 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

Marshall University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Marshall University is $8,351 for southeast region liberal arts students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Marshall University

22

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Hudson, North Carolina, and it awarded 666 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute is $4,947 for southeast region liberal arts students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at CCCTI

23

With a ranking of #23, Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. De Queen, Arkansas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 145 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UA Cossatot is $5,715 for southeast region liberal arts students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas

24

With a ranking of #24, Florida International University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 459 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.

FIU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $5,298 for Southeast Region Liberal Arts students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at FIU

25
MDC crest
Miami Dade College
Miami, Florida

With a ranking of #25, Miami Dade College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school handed out 9,606 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend MDC is $4,870 for southeast region liberal arts students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at MDC

Rest of the Best 47 in Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 47 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Lenoir Community College crest
Lenoir Community College
Kinston, North Carolina
28
29
30
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia
31
Middle Tennessee State University crest
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
32
33
Beaufort County Community College crest
Beaufort County Community College
Washington, North Carolina
34
35
Central Piedmont Community College crest
Central Piedmont Community College
Charlotte, North Carolina
35
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
37
38
39
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
40
RCC crest
Rockingham Community College
Wentworth, North Carolina
41
College of the Albemarle crest
College of the Albemarle
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
42
WSCC crest
Walters State Community College
Morristown, Tennessee
43
44
Chattanooga State Community College crest
Chattanooga State Community College
Chattanooga, Tennessee
45
Pensacola State crest
Pensacola State College
Pensacola, Florida
46
47

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