2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies
29
Ranked Colleges
108
Degrees Awarded
$32,800
Avg Cost*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Liberal Arts General Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 1st of all the majors we analyze. In 2021-2022, 538,925 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In , liberal arts general studies graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $28,316 and had an average of $15,943 in loans still to pay off.
At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 108 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,735 and $124,256 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major” ranking, we looked at 29 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts general studies. That schools that top this list have a program in liberal arts general studies in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major” 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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major”.
Top 29 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major list. Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts is located in Portland, Maine and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 11 doctorate’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full IDSVA Liberal Arts General Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pacifica Graduate Institute. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major. Located in Carpinteria, California, this small private for-profit school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s liberal arts students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Pacifica Graduate Institute
Out of the 29 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Clark Atlanta University landed the #3 spot on the list. CAU is a small school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 3 doctorate’s liberal arts degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at CAU
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Salve Regina University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major list. Salve Regina University is a small school located in Newport, Rhode Island that handed out 10 doctorate’s liberal arts degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Salve Regina
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Maryland - Baltimore County. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major. UMBC is a fairly large school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 9 doctorate’s liberal arts degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, 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 87%.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at UMBC
With a ranking of #6, Southern Methodist University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major list. Southern Methodist University is located in Dallas, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 8 doctorate’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Full SMU Liberal Arts General Studies Report
The University of Texas at Dallas came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major ranking. The University of Texas at Dallas is a public institution located in Richardson, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 The University of Texas at Dallas
Montana State University ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major list. Montana State University is a fairly large school located in Bozeman, Montana that handed out 6 doctorate’s liberal arts degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%.
Full Montana State University Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Yale University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major ranking. Yale is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 16 doctorate’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, 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 98%. With a undergrad 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 Yale
Georgetown University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major ranking. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 9 degrees to qualified doctorate’s liberal arts students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Georgetown
With a ranking of #11, New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major list. NMSU Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It awarded 2 doctorate’s liberal arts degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at NMSU Main Campus
With a ranking of #12, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major list. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 5 doctorate’s liberal arts degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at WUSTL
George Mason University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major ranking, coming in at #13. George Mason University is located in Fairfax, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 doctorate’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at GMU
Emory University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major ranking, coming in at #14. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s liberal arts degrees to 8 students in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% 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 more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Emory University
Tulane University of Louisiana came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major ranking. New Orleans, Louisiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s liberal arts degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad 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%. The impressive undergraduate 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.
Full Tulane Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Johns Hopkins University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major ranking. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s liberal arts degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Johns Hopkins Liberal Arts General Studies Report
With a ranking of #17, University of Louisville did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major list. University of Louisville is a large public school situated in Louisville, Kentucky. It awarded 3 doctorate’s liberal arts degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at UofL
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major list. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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 undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%.
Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Liberal Arts General Studies Report
With a ranking of #19, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major list. Florida State University is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 250 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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 94%.
Full Florida State University Liberal Arts General Studies Report
University of Memphis did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major ranking, coming in at #19. UofM is a large public school situated in Memphis, Tennessee. It awarded 115 doctorate’s liberal arts degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Memphis
Faulkner University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major ranking, coming in at #19. Montgomery, Alabama is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s liberal arts degrees to 15 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Faulkner
With a ranking of #19, University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major list. UNLV is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 0 doctorate’s liberal arts degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Nevada - Las Vegas Liberal Arts General Studies Report
University of California - Merced came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Merced, California, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s liberal arts degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 UC Merced Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Ferris State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major ranking, coming in at #19. Ferris is a public institution located in Big Rapids, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 59 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Ferris Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Syracuse University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major list. Syracuse University is a large school located in Syracuse, New York that handed out 7 doctorate’s liberal arts degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Syracuse University Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major ranking. Illinois Institute of Technology is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 doctorate’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Illinois Institute of Technology
With a ranking of #19, Mississippi State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major list. Mississippi State University is located in Mississippi State, Mississippi and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 58 doctorate’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Mississippi State
University of Maine ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major list. Orono, Maine is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s liberal arts degrees to 57 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 UMaine Liberal Arts General Studies Report
University at Albany came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Liberal Arts Major ranking. UAlbany is located in Albany, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 0 doctorate’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University at Albany Liberal Arts General Studies Report
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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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate 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.
