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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities in New York

30 Ranked Colleges
3,900 Degrees Awarded
$19,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor's in New York

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Bachelor’s in New York” 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.

Across New York, there were 20,887 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,728 and $15,736 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,900 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,973 and $22,589 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York” ranking looked at 30 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the liberal arts / sciences and humanities program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The liberal arts / sciences & humanities 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 “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York”.

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. 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 / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities in New York

#1

Excelsior University

Albany, New York
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Excelsior University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York. Excelsior University is located in Albany, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1,445 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

Excelsior University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list.

Full Excelsior University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#2

The Graduate Center, CUNY

New York, New York
#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The Graduate Center, CUNY. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. This medium-sized school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The Graduate Center also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #11.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full The Graduate Center, CUNY Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#3

SUNY Cortland

Cortland, New York
#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend SUNY Cortland. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York. SUNY Cortland is a public institution located in Cortland, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new york bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students list, SUNY Cortland has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Cortland is $18,705 for new york bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full SUNY Cortland Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#4

Maria College of Albany

Albany, New York
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, Maria College of Albany landed the #4 spot on the list. Maria College of Albany is a small school located in Albany, New York that handed out 4 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Maria College of Albany, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. It costs about $12,995 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students per year to attend Maria College of Albany.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Maria College of Albany

#5

The City College of New York

New York, New York
#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The City College of New York. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. The City College of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 104 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our new york bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students list, CCNY has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. It costs about $2,385 for new york bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students per year to attend The City College of New York.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at The City College of New York

#6

SUNY New Paltz

New Paltz, New York
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, SUNY New Paltz did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. SUNY New Paltz is located in New Paltz, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

SUNY New Paltz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The yearly cost to attend SUNY New Paltz is $17,171 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at SUNY New Paltz

#7

Purchase College

Purchase, New York
#17 in overall quality

Purchase College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking, coming in at #7. Purchase College is a small public school situated in Purchase, New York. It awarded 120 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purchase College, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purchase College is $18,326 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Purchase College

#8

SUNY Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, New York
#21 in overall quality

SUNY Plattsburgh landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. SUNY Plattsburgh is a public institution located in Plattsburgh, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SUNY Plattsburgh not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Plattsburgh is $15,845 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at SUNY Plattsburgh

#9

Buffalo State

Buffalo, New York
#24 in overall quality

Buffalo State ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Buffalo State is a public institution located in Buffalo, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 126 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Buffalo State, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Buffalo State is $12,960 for new york bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Buffalo State

#10

Baruch College

New York, New York
#18 in overall quality

Baruch College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. Baruch is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 21 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Baruch not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. It costs about $3,562 for new york bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students per year to attend Baruch.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Baruch Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#11

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, New York

College of Staten Island CUNY landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. CSI is located in Staten Island, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 36 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for College of Staten Island CUNY is $5,118 for new york bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at College of Staten Island CUNY

With a ranking of #12, John Jay College of Criminal Justice did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for John Jay College of Criminal Justice is $2,532 for new york bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

#13

Medgar Evers College

Brooklyn, New York

Medgar Evers College landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Brooklyn, New York, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Medgar Evers College is $5,507 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Medgar Evers College

#14

St. Joseph's College - New York

Brooklyn, New York
#15 in overall quality

St. Joseph’s College - New York did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking, coming in at #14. St. Joseph’s College - New York is located in Brooklyn, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

SJC also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for SJC is $16,360 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at St. Joseph’s College - New York

#15

St. Francis College

Brooklyn Heights, New York
#6 in overall quality

St. Francis College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. SFC is a small school located in Brooklyn Heights, New York that handed out 31 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

SFC also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend SFC is $18,236 for new york bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

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

#16

Roberts Wesleyan College

Rochester, New York

Roberts Wesleyan College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Located in Rochester, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $23,569 for new york bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students per year to attend Roberts Wesleyan College.

Full Roberts Wesleyan Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#17

Russell Sage College

Troy, New York
#23 in overall quality

Russell Sage College landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. This small school is located in Troy, New York, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Russel Sage did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The estimated yearly cost for Russel Sage is $23,337 for new york bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Russell Sage College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#18

The College of Saint Rose

Albany, New York
#20 in overall quality

The College of Saint Rose came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. Saint Rose is a small school located in Albany, New York that handed out 13 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Saint Rose, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The College of Saint Rose is $22,754 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at The College of Saint Rose

#19

Daemen College

Amherst, New York

Daemen College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Daemen College is located in Amherst, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $17,928 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students per year to attend Daemen College.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 Daemen College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#20

The King's College

New York, New York
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, The King’s College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. TKC is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 80 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at TKC, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. It costs about $34,099 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students per year to attend TKC.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at The King’s College

#21

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, New York
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Rochester Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. RIT is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Rochester, New York. It awarded 148 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

RIT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The estimated yearly cost for RIT is $33,167 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, St John’s University - New York did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Located in Queens, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 20 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new york bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students list, STJ has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. It costs about $27,130 for new york bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students per year to attend STJ.

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

#23

Pace University - New York

New York, New York
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, Pace University - New York did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Pace University is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our new york bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students list, Pace University has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pace University - New York is $29,707 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Pace University - New York Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#24

The New School

New York, New York
#25 in overall quality

The New School ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. The New School is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 116 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

New School University also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend The New School is $43,334 for new york bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at The New School

#25

Sarah Lawrence College

Bronxville, New York
#10 in overall quality

Sarah Lawrence College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking, coming in at #25. This small school is located in Bronxville, New York, and it awarded 316 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new york bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students list, Sarah Lawrence has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sarah Lawrence is $36,422 for new york bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 / Sciences & Humanities at Sarah Lawrence College

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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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