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2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k

88 Ranked Colleges
1,990 Degrees Awarded
$31,200 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master's For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 559,661 liberal arts / sciences and humanities students received their degree, making the major the 3rd most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, liberal arts / sciences and humanities 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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,990 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 88 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the liberal arts / sciences and humanities program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $30-$48k)

#1

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 88 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. UPenn is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 28 masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pennsylvania are $41,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UPenn Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#2

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#12 in overall quality

Out of the 88 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #2 spot on the list. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

Duke also took the #12 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Duke are $59,140, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Duke University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#3

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 88 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 147 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #2 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UChicago are $61,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UChicago Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#4

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#1 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 / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Johns Hopkins University is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins are $59,425, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Johns Hopkins University

#5

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#23 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our master’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $30-$48k list, Vanderbilt has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt are $50,624, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Vanderbilt

#6

Wesleyan University

Middletown, Connecticut
#7 in overall quality

Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Wesleyan U is located in Middletown, Connecticut and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wesleyan U, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Wesleyan U are $59,106, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Wesleyan University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#7

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia
#5 in overall quality

Georgetown University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Georgetown University is a fairly large school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 14 masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Georgetown also took the #5 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Georgetown are $53,591.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Georgetown University

#8

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#9 in overall quality

North Carolina State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

NC State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at North Carolina State University are $28,999, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full North Carolina State University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#9

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia
#17 in overall quality

University of Richmond did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Richmond is located in University of Richmond, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

URichmond also took the #17 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at URichmond are $25,260.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at URichmond

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 27 masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of South Florida - Main Campus are $21,126.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of South Florida - Main Campus

#11

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northern Kentucky University is located in Highland Heights, Kentucky and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at NKU are $17,358.

Full Northern Kentucky University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#8 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 20 masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $30-$48k list, UT Austin has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UT Austin are $22,886, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

Indiana University - Northwest ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Gary, Indiana, this small public school awarded 3 degrees to qualified masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at IU Northwest are $18,275.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Indiana University - Northwest

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 12 masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Dominguez Hills are $17,884, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at California State University - Dominguez Hills

California State University - Northridge came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 19 masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Northridge are $17,955, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at California State University - Northridge

#16

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, New York
#14 in overall quality

Stony Brook University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stony Brook University is a public institution located in Stony Brook, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 65 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SUNY Stony Brook not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stony Brook University are $25,583, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Stony Brook University

With a ranking of #17, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 2 masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State are $37,141.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Ohio State

#18

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 2 masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Florida State University are $26,707.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Florida State University

#19

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Oakland University is a fairly large public school situated in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It awarded 2 masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Oakland are $24,648, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Oakland

#20

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in South Bend, Indiana, this small public school awarded 12 degrees to qualified masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - South Bend are $18,275.

Full Indiana University - South Bend Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#21

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 3 masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Springfield are $16,757, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of Illinois at Springfield

#22

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 13 masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at SDSU are $18,658, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at SDSU

#23

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, New York

College of Staten Island CUNY came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSI is a fairly large public school situated in Staten Island, New York. It awarded 6 masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at College of Staten Island CUNY are $21,080, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at CSI

#24

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Middle Tennessee State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Middle Tennessee State University is a public institution located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 34 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Middle Tennessee State University are $26,172, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Middle Tennessee State University

#25

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia

American Public University System ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. American Public University System is a large school located in Charles Town, West Virginia that handed out 37 masters’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at American Military University are $7,050, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at American Public University System

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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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