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2024 Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Southeast Region

285 Colleges in the Southeast Region
163,228 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$25,841 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #3 in popularity, liberal arts / sciences & humanities is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 285 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for liberal arts / sciences & humanities students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 163,228 degrees in liberal arts / sciences & humanities during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities School

Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Southeast Region Your choice of liberal arts / sciences & humanities school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for liberal arts / sciences & humanities schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities
Bachelor's Degrees in Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities
Master's Degrees in Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities
Doctor's Degrees in Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities

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 Schools in the Southeast Region. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.


 

Best Schools for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities in the Southeast Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the liberal arts / sciences & humanities degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Southeast Region Schools in Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$49,578 Median Starting Salary

North Carolina State University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. NC State is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Raleigh. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means NC State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 51 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at NC State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities degree program at North Carolina State University make $23,737 more than the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from North Carolina State University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,837 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
19.5% Growth in Graduates

American Public University System is a good option for students interested in a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. Located in the town of Charles Town, American Military University is a private for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #144 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means American Military University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1837 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at American Military University in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities degree program at American Public University System earn $29,497 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from American Public University System

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
362 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$34,587 Median Starting Salary

George Mason University is a good choice for students interested in a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. GMU is a very large public university located in the suburb of Fairfax. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were about 362 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year. Those liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who get their degree from George Mason University receive $8,746 more than the standard liberal arts / sciences & humanities student.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from George Mason University

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
46 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
26.1% Growth in Graduates

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Chapel Hill. A Best Colleges rank of #43 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.

There were roughly 46 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent year we have data available. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities degree recipients from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill get an earnings boost of around $7,329 above the average income of liberal arts / sciences & humanities majors.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

5

Tulane is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New Orleans. A Best Colleges rank of #78 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Tulane is a great university overall.

There were about 30 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at Tulane in the most recent year we have data available. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities degree recipients from Tulane University of Louisiana get an earnings boost of approximately $20,171 over the average earnings of liberal arts / sciences & humanities majors.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Tulane University of Louisiana

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
470 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$38,340 Median Starting Salary

USF Tampa is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Tampa. A Best Colleges rank of #229 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USF Tampa is a great university overall.

There were approximately 470 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at USF Tampa in the most recent year we have data available. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities degree recipients from University of South Florida - Main Campus receive an earnings boost of approximately $12,499 above the typical income of liberal arts / sciences & humanities majors.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of South Florida - Main Campus

6
U Miami crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
42 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$47,378 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Coral Gables, U Miami is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #91 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means U Miami is a great university overall.

There were roughly 42 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at U Miami in the most recent year we have data available. Those liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who get their degree from University of Miami receive $21,537 more than the standard liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduate.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of Miami

7
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
263 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$32,885 Median Starting Salary

JMU is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Harrisonburg. A Best Colleges rank of #169 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were about 263 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent year we have data available. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities degree recipients from James Madison University earn a boost of about $7,044 over the average earnings of liberal arts / sciences & humanities majors.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from James Madison University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
194 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$45,132 Median Starting Salary

Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public university located in the city of Murfreesboro. This university ranks 12th out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 194 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at Middle Tennessee State University in the most recent year we have data available. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities degree recipients from Middle Tennessee State University get an earnings boost of about $19,291 above the typical earnings of liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Middle Tennessee State University

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
3,606 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
7.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 13th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 3606 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at Northern Virginia Community College in the most recent data year. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities degree recipients from Northern Virginia Community College receive an earnings boost of around $2,579 above the average earnings of liberal arts / sciences & humanities majors.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Northern Virginia Community College

10

Eastern Mennonite is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Harrisonburg. This university ranks 15th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 26 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at Eastern Mennonite in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities program at Eastern Mennonite University earn $16,360 above the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Eastern Mennonite University

11
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
219 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$26,570 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Morgantown, WVU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 28 colleges for overall quality in the state of West Virginia.

There were roughly 219 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at WVU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities program make around $26,570 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from West Virginia University

12
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
129 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$30,327 Median Starting Salary

UofSC is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Columbia. A Best Colleges rank of #152 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UofSC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 129 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at UofSC in the most recent year we have data available. Those liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who get their degree from University of South Carolina - Columbia receive $4,486 more than the standard liberal arts / sciences & humanities grad.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of South Carolina - Columbia

13
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
424 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
9.4% Growth in Graduates

UCF is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Orlando. A Best Colleges rank of #193 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCF is a great university overall.

There were about 424 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at UCF in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities degree program at University of Central Florida make $14,731 more than the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of Central Florida

14
Marshall University crest
Marshall University
Huntington, WV
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
191 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$30,418 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Huntington, Marshall University is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 28 schools for overall quality in the state of West Virginia.

There were roughly 191 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at Marshall University in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities degree program at Marshall University earn $4,577 above the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Marshall University

15
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
296 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
9.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #121 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Florida State is a great university overall.

There were about 296 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at Florida State in the most recent year we have data available. Those liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who get their degree from Florida State University earn $2,540 more than the typical liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduate.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Florida State University

16
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
459 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
1.1% Growth in Graduates

FIU is a very large public university located in the suburb of Miami. A Best Colleges rank of #183 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means FIU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 459 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at FIU in the most recent data year. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities degree recipients from Florida International University get an earnings boost of around $3,174 above the typical income of liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Florida International University

17
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
123 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$40,014 Median Starting Salary

UofM is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Memphis. This university ranks 9th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 123 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at UofM in the most recent year we have data available. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities degree recipients from University of Memphis get an earnings boost of around $14,173 over the average income of liberal arts / sciences & humanities majors.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of Memphis

18
UMW crest
University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
118 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$34,236 Median Starting Salary

UMW is a small public university located in the midsize suburb of Fredericksburg. This university ranks 21st out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 118 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at UMW in the most recent year we have data available. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities degree recipients from University of Mary Washington get an earnings boost of about $8,395 over the typical income of liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of Mary Washington

19
Lee University crest
Lee University
Cleveland, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
60 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
6.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Cleveland, Lee University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 15th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 60 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at Lee University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities degree program at Lee University make $9,158 above the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Lee University

20
Union crest
Union University
Jackson, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
78 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
48.7% Growth in Graduates

Union is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Jackson. This university ranks 7th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 78 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at Union in the most recent data year. Those liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who get their degree from Union University earn $10,642 more than the typical liberal arts / sciences & humanities student.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Union University

21
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
98 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$29,046 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Birmingham, UAB is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #260 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UAB is a great university overall.

There were approximately 98 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at UAB in the most recent data year. Those liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who get their degree from University of Alabama at Birmingham earn $3,205 more than the average liberal arts / sciences & humanities student.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of Alabama at Birmingham

22
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
2,419 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
5.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Atlanta, Georgia State University-Perimeter College is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 68 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were approximately 2419 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at Georgia State University-Perimeter College in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities program make about $26,302 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Georgia State University-Perimeter College

23
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
664 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
17.3% Growth in Graduates

A-State is a large public university located in the small city of Jonesboro. This university ranks 2nd out of 34 colleges for overall quality in the state of Arkansas.

There were roughly 664 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at A-State in the most recent data year. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities degree recipients from Arkansas State University - Main Campus earn a boost of about $2,297 over the typical income of liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Arkansas State University - Main Campus

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$22,847 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Louisville, UofL is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 38 schools for overall quality in the state of Kentucky.

There were approximately 43 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at UofL in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities program earn an average of $22,847 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of Louisville

Rest of the Top Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Southeast Region

26
Valencia College crest
Valencia College
Orlando, FL
27
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30
31
32

32

33
BC crest
Broward College
Fort Lauderdale, FL
34
Gaston College crest
Gaston College
Dallas, NC
35
36
37
38
39
40

41

42
WKU crest
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY

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 / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Southeast Region award.

Rank College Location
43 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
44 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
45 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY
46 Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN
47 Hillsborough Community College Tampa, FL
48 Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN
49 Tallahassee Community College Tallahassee, FL
50 Jefferson State Community College Birmingham, AL
51 Tennessee State University Nashville, TN
52 Forsyth Technical Community College Winston-Salem, NC
53 Florida SouthWestern State College Fort Myers, FL
54 Johnston Community College Smithfield, NC
55 Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga, TN
56 Wake Technical Community College Raleigh, NC
57 Greenville Technical College Greenville, SC

Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Colleges by State

Explore the best liberal arts / sciences & humanities schools for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 38 18,227
West Virginia 38 3,558
Mississippi 38 5,696
South Carolina 38 4,243
Florida 38 64,443
Virginia 38 9,294
Arkansas 38 5,153
Alabama 37 5,890
Kentucky 37 6,493
Georgia 37 7,724
Tennessee 37 10,179
Louisiana 37 2,864

View All Rankings >

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Liberal Arts General Studies 163,228

View All Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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