by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 34 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for liberal arts / sciences & humanities students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 5,142 bachelor's degrees in liberal arts / sciences & humanities to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of liberal arts / sciences & humanities for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality liberal arts / sciences & humanities program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for liberal arts / sciences & humanities students working on their bachelor's degree.
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 the Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor's Degree Schools in California.
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 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.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities.
Saint Mary's College of California is a good decision for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. Located in the large suburb of Moraga, SMC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Saint Mary’s College of California
It's hard to beat California State University - Sacramento if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. Sac State is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Sacramento.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from California State University - Sacramento
Thomas Aquinas College is a great choice for students interested in a bachelor's degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. Located in the rural area of Santa Paula, TAC is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Thomas Aquinas College
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public university located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from San Diego State University
Located in the city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from San Francisco State University
CSUN is a fairly large public university located in the city of Northridge.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from California State University - Northridge
Located in the suburb of Azusa, Azusa Pacific is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Azusa Pacific University
Chico State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Chico.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from California State University - Chico
Located in the suburb of Seaside, CSUMB is a public university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from California State University - Monterey Bay
Explore all the Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 34 | 893 |
| Hawaii | 30 | 82 |
| Oregon | 30 | 318 |
| Nevada | 30 | 52 |
| Alaska | 29 | 3 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts General Studies | 5,142 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Social Sciences | 24,911 |
| Communication & Journalism | 9,569 |
| English Language & Literature | 3,998 |
| History | 2,905 |
| Foreign Languages & Linguistics | 2,437 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 2,419 |
| Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies | 2,106 |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | 1,411 |
| Theology & Religious Vocations | 412 |
