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2025 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina

50 Colleges in North Carolina
16,587 Associate Degrees
$26,721 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a associate degree in liberal arts general studies, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #1 most popular program in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 50 schools in North Carolina to determine which ones were the best for liberal arts general studies students pursuing a associate degree. Combined, these schools handed out 16,587 associate degrees in liberal arts general studies to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Liberal Arts General Studies School for Your Associate Degree

Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina The liberal arts associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality liberal arts program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a associate degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. 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.

Average Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of associate graduates during the early years of their career. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their associate degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

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 schools for liberal arts general studies students working on their associate degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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More Liberal Arts Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The liberal arts 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 General Studies Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Liberal Arts General Studies in North Carolina

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in liberal arts general studies. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

10 Top North Carolina Schools for an Associate in Liberal Arts

1

Mitchell Community College is a wonderful decision for students interested in an associate degree in liberal arts general studies. Mitchell Community College is a small public college located in the fringe town of Statesville.

Associate students who receive their degree from the liberal arts program make around $27,667 for their early career.

More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Mitchell Community College

2

Alamance Community College is one of the best schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in liberal arts general studies. ACC is a small public college located in the medium-sized suburb of Graham.

Students who graduate with their associate from the liberal arts program report average early career earnings of $26,855.

More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Alamance Community College

3

Surry Community College is one of the best schools in the country for getting an associate degree in liberal arts general studies. Located in the rural area of Dobson, Surry Community College is a public college with a small student population.

Students who graduate with their associate from the liberal arts program report average early career earnings of $24,635.

More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Surry Community College

4
1,388 Annual Graduates
$30,373 Median Starting Salary

Wake Technical Community College is a great option for students pursuing an associate degree in liberal arts general studies. Located in the large suburb of Raleigh, Wake Technical Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Associate recipients from the liberal arts general studies program at Wake Technical Community College earn $3,652 above the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Wake Technical Community College

5
1,341 Annual Graduates
$24,056 Median Starting Salary

Central Piedmont Community College is a fairly large public college located in the large city of Charlotte.

Associate students who receive their degree from the liberal arts program make an average of $24,056 for their early career.

More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Central Piedmont Community College

6
Gaston College crest
Gaston College
Dallas, NC

Gaston College is a medium-sized public college located in the midsize suburb of Dallas.

Students who graduate with their associate from the liberal arts program report average early career earnings of $26,838.

More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Gaston College

7

RCC is a small public college located in the rural area of Wentworth.

Liberal Arts General Studies associate degree recipients from Rockingham Community College get an earnings boost of around $4,144 above the average earnings of liberal arts general studies graduates.

More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Rockingham Community College

8

Located in the distant town of Asheboro, Randolph Community College is a public college with a small student population.

Those liberal arts general studies students who get their associate degree from Randolph Community College receive $13,424 more than the standard liberal arts grad.

More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Randolph Community College

9

Guilford Technical Community College is a large public college located in the large suburb of Jamestown.

Students who graduate with their associate from the liberal arts program report average early career income of $28,349.

More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Guilford Technical Community College

10

Located in the city of Asheville, A-B Tech is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Associate recipients from the liberal arts general studies degree program at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College get $2,735 more than the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a associate in liberal arts general studies from Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Liberal Arts General Studies Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina award.

Rank College Location
11 Lenoir Community College Kinston, NC
12 Catawba Valley Community College Hickory, NC
13 Brunswick Community College Bolivia, NC
14 Cleveland Community College Shelby, NC
15 Richmond Community College Hamlet, NC
16 Sandhills Community College Pinehurst, NC

Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Mississippi 143 5,107
Georgia 121 7,085
Florida 121 63,334
Arkansas 105 4,615
Tennessee 102 9,311
Virginia 97 6,800
West Virginia 92 2,520
Kentucky 90 5,565
Louisiana 80 1,766
South Carolina 77 3,767
Alabama 69 5,517

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One of 0 majors within the Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities area of study, Liberal Arts General Studies has other similar majors worth exploring.

Liberal Arts Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Liberal Arts 14,554
Individualized Studies 1,948
General Studies 85

Notes and References

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