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

108 Colleges in the Southwest Region
79,412 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$29,155 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #3 most popular program in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 108 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 79,412 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 Southwest Region Your choice of liberal arts / sciences & humanities school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

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

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Southwest Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.


 

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

The schools below may not offer all types of liberal arts / sciences & humanities degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

17 Top Southwest Region Schools in Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
365 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
27.4% Growth in Graduates

The University of Texas at Austin is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #36 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were approximately 365 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent year we have data available. Those liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who get their degree from The University of Texas at Austin receive $33,658 more than the average liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduate.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from The University of Texas at Austin

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
99 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
17.2% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in liberal arts / sciences & humanities has to take a look at Southern Methodist University. Located in the suburb of Dallas, SMU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #73 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means SMU is a great university overall.

There were about 99 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at SMU in the most recent year we have data available. Those liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who get their degree from Southern Methodist University earn $18,474 more than the standard liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduate.

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

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
528 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
4.0% Growth in Graduates

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a great option for students pursuing a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. Located in the suburb of Norman, University of Oklahoma is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #140 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means University of Oklahoma is a great university overall.

There were roughly 528 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at University of Oklahoma in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities degree program at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus make $17,595 above the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
72 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$49,272 Median Starting Salary

University of St. Thomas is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. UST is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Houston. This university ranks 38th out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 72 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at UST in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities major at University of St. Thomas get $20,117 above the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of St. Thomas

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
283 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$42,929 Median Starting Salary

Wayland Baptist University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Plainview. This university ranks 24th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 283 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at Wayland Baptist University in the most recent data year. Those liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who get their degree from Wayland Baptist University receive $13,774 more than the standard liberal arts / sciences & humanities student.

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

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
106 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$40,103 Median Starting Salary

ASU - Tempe is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Tempe. A Best Colleges rank of #119 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means ASU - Tempe is a great university overall.

There were approximately 106 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Tempe in the most recent data year. Those liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who get their degree from Arizona State University - Tempe make $10,948 more than the average liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduate.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Arizona State University - Tempe

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
82 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$48,240 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #80 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means TCU is a great university overall.

There were about 82 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at TCU in the most recent data year. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities degree recipients from Texas Christian University receive an earnings boost of approximately $19,085 above the typical earnings of liberal arts / sciences & humanities majors.

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

8
Graduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
198 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$34,291 Median Starting Salary

Texas Tech is a fairly large public university located in the city of Lubbock. A Best Colleges rank of #168 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Texas Tech is a great university overall.

There were about 198 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at Texas Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Those liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who get their degree from Texas Tech University earn $5,136 more than the standard liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduate.

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

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
1,171 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
32.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize suburb of Killeen, Central Texas College is a public college with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #254 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Central Texas College is a great college overall.

There were approximately 1171 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at Central Texas College in the most recent year we have data available. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities degree recipients from Central Texas College receive an earnings boost of around $5,951 above the average earnings of liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Central Texas College

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
560 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$34,682 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Denton, UNT is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #280 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UNT is a great university overall.

There were roughly 560 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at UNT in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities degree program at University of North Texas earn $5,527 above the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

11
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
4,698 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$26,799 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Albuquerque, CNM is a public college with a large student population. This college ranks 2nd out of 23 schools for overall quality in the state of New Mexico.

There were roughly 4698 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at CNM in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, liberal arts / sciences & humanities degree recipients generally earn about $26,799 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Central New Mexico Community College

12
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
402 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
7.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Scottsdale, ASU - Skysong is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #314 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means ASU - Skysong is a great university overall.

There were approximately 402 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Skysong in the most recent year we have data available. Those liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who get their degree from Arizona State University - Skysong earn $10,948 more than the standard liberal arts / sciences & humanities student.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Arizona State University - Skysong

13
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
772 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$32,707 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Mesa, Mesa Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 9th out of 26 colleges for overall quality in the state of Arizona.

There were about 772 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at Mesa Community College in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities major at Mesa Community College earn $3,552 more than the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

14
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
263 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$31,269 Median Starting Salary

OSU is a fairly large public university located in the distant town of Stillwater. A Best Colleges rank of #227 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means OSU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 263 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at OSU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities degree program at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus make $2,114 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

15
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
498 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$35,678 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Flagstaff, NAU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #278 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means NAU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 498 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at NAU in the most recent year we have data available. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities degree recipients from Northern Arizona University earn a boost of approximately $6,523 above the average earnings of liberal arts / sciences & humanities majors.

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

16
Northwest Vista College crest
Northwest Vista College
San Antonio, TX
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
2,384 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$22,731 Median Starting Salary

Northwest Vista College is a large public college located in the city of San Antonio. A Best Colleges rank of #384 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwest Vista College is a great college overall.

There were approximately 2384 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at Northwest Vista College in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities program make an average of $22,731 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Northwest Vista College

16
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
32.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Irving, UD is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 34th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 31 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at UD in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities major at University of Dallas get $19,926 more than the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

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 Southwest Region award.

Rank College Location
17 Oklahoma City Community College Oklahoma City, OK
18 Collin County Community College District McKinney, TX
19 University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK
20 McLennan Community College Waco, TX
21 Pima Community College Tucson, AZ
22 South Texas College McAllen, TX
23 El Centro College Dallas, TX
24 Texas A&M University - Commerce Commerce, TX
25 San Antonio College San Antonio, TX

Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Colleges by State

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Arizona 38 8,087
Texas 38 55,861
New Mexico 38 3,989
Oklahoma 38 3,293

View All Rankings >

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Liberal Arts General Studies 79,412

View All Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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