### SUMMARY

 A degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences is not only a valuable choice, but commonly an essential first step for undergraduates aspiring to begin a career as a library archivist, a liberal arts writer, or an associate professor. In fact, liberal arts and sciences is fairly popular coming in at the 25th most popular degree. In the last year, there were 24,981 liberal arts and sciences diplomas received. In-state tuition for liberal arts and sciences at private schools is, on average, 3.8 times more spendy than their public equivalents.

 There are 637 institutions that offer liberal arts and sciences. This number of universities is fairly average in terms of the number of institutions which offer each degree. If you are hoping to surround yourself with other liberal arts and sciences students, consider looking at institutions in California which have the most students admitted to liberal arts and sciences annually. less precisely, the best region to study liberal arts and sciences is in the Far West region with [California State University-Fresno](/colleges/california-state-university-fresno), [California State University-Northridge](/colleges/california-state-university-northridge), and [The Evergreen State College](/colleges/the-evergreen-state-college) best representing the region. Interestingly, our selection for the top conference to major in liberal arts and sciences is the California Collegiate Athletic Association with [California State University-Stanislaus](/colleges/california-state-university-stanislaus), [California State University-San Bernardino](/colleges/california-state-university-san-bernardino), and [California State University-Los Angeles](/colleges/california-state-university-los-angeles) representing the conference. That said, our choice for the best school for liberal arts and sciences is [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology). You might also want to check out our list of the [best colleges](/rankings/best-colleges).

 The overall 'best' school might not actually be the best school for every student. There are a bunch more perspectives to consider when deciding on institution. External stuff such as campus amenities, transportation services, and food could refashion your choice on which college to attend. Here at authority.org, we have examined the pros and cons for you. If, for example, you want to know which liberal arts and sciences school is home to the top campus, the answer is [New York University](/colleges/new-york-university). If, for example, you are primarily interested in which university boasts the top campus, we have a whole list [dedicated to that](/rankings/best-college-campuses). We have carefully pored through professor reviews, government databases, student reviews, and more to compare every major in an unbiased and informative way. Here you can explore our well researched list for the schools with the [best student life](/rankings/best-student-life)&nbspand our choice for the school with the best student life for liberal arts and sciences is [Georgetown University](/colleges/georgetown-university). Curious why? Keep scrolling to discover more about Authority's top recommendations. Some of our picks will probably surprise you.

 If price is a primary factor in your decisions, you might be cautious about [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york). [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york)&nbspis the most expensive university for liberal arts and sciences, at least regarding out of state students. We do have an entire list of the [most expensive](/rankings/most-expensive-colleges)&nbspschools that could put the cost at [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york)&nbspinto perspective. You could also be interested to know that liberal arts and sciences is the 52nd most expensive program in America, with an average bill of $48,600. On a broader scale, the most expensive state for liberal arts and sciences in the country is District of Columbia with tuition and fees at the main school, Georgetown University, of $55,440. Even more broadly, the most expensive region of the country for liberal arts and sciences is the Mid East region which is best demonstrated with [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york) with a cost of $57,763, [St Lawrence University](/colleges/st-lawrence-university) with a cost of $56,360, and [Union College](/colleges/union-college-ny) with a cost of $56,853.

 Our cheapest region for liberal arts and sciences is the Southwest region which is represented by [Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus](/colleges/eastern-new-mexico-university-main-campus) with a cost of $5,994, [Paul Quinn College](/colleges/paul-quinn-college) with a cost of $6,195, and [Texas College](/colleges/texas-college) with a cost of $8,208. More optimistically, the most affordable university for liberal arts and sciences is [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo](/colleges/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo). Our comprehensive list of the most affordable schools can be explored [here](/rankings/most-affordable-colleges).

 In-state attendees can anticipate paying in the neighborhood of $9,600 for a degree in liberal arts and sciences. That price swells significantly to a median of $21,200 for an out-of-state public-school student. Our selection for the university with the best value for liberal arts and sciences: [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology). Through this link you can find our comprehensive list of the universities we see as being the [best value](/rankings/best-value-colleges)&nbspoverall. Do know, this idea is predicated on being an out-of-state student. The value proposition changes when in-state tuition costs are considered, but as we do not know what state(s) you might qualify for in-state tuition, we are approaching this discussion through out-of-state tuition costs.

 Earnings for liberal arts and sciences students vary widely, but within two years graduation students will typically earn around $40,100. While there is a lot of variation in pay; highest paid earners can rake in up to $76,200. Even straight out of university, the lowest end positions within the liberal arts and sciences field make $21,000, which is an alright wage. The top earning graduates for liberal arts and sciences graduated from [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology)&nbspand if you are looking for schools with all of the [highest earning graduates](/rankings/highest-earning-graduates), Authority has that too.

 The overall diversity of liberal arts and sciences ranks pretty high, falling within the 84th percentile of majors nationally. The college with the most composite diversity for liberal arts and sciences is [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology)&nbspand here you can find our general list for the schools which have the [most diversity](/rankings/most-diverse-colleges). The overall financial diversity of the Liberal Arts and Sciences major only stands within the 45th percentile compared to all other majors. Racial diversity is actually above financial diversity, in the 85th percentile. White students make up the largest proportion, 49%, of students majoring in liberal arts and sciences. Additionally, 69% of students seeking a liberal arts and sciences degree are women.

 The median score of liberal arts and sciences professors is 4.1 stars, a score which is 2% above the median for all majors; this is a good score. If you want the most popular liberal arts and sciences instructor nationally, consider looking up Teodros Kiros at [Berklee College of Music](/colleges/berklee-college-of-music). It may come as a shock, but the best ranked instructors of liberal arts and sciences from student rankings come from [New York University](/colleges/new-york-university). As we incorporate data beyond just rankings we find that the college possessing the overall best professors for liberal arts and sciences is [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology). You can find an explanation of our ever evolving ranking methodology of the [best overall professors here](/rankings/best-professors), as well as many of the best examples of professors nationwide.

 Finally, the most difficult college to get into for liberal arts and sciences is [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york). While we do not necessarily see the value in it, we have a detailed page for the [hardest colleges to get into](/rankings/hardest-colleges-to-get-into). But, we do hope you believe that considering college from context only formed from superlatives can create issues. We encourage you to look at some of our other pages on different schools and peruse a few of our insightful background articles on useful things to think about as your school search continues.



 ### POPULARITY

 Liberal arts and sciences is the 25th most popular degree in America, with 24,981 students receiving their bachelors degree last year. It just beat out #26 [Social Work](/rankings/best-colleges-for-social-work), and narrowly lost to #24 [Kinesiology and Exercise Science](/rankings/best-colleges-for-kinesiology-and-exercise-science).

 The degree is offered at a total of 637 colleges across the nation, and is the 31st most widely offered degree. Given that liberal arts and sciences is offered at 32% of the Top 100 [Best Colleges](/rankings/best-colleges) in America, you can be sure this is a critical degree and the skillsets acquired are likely to last for a long time.

 It is also worth noting that 73% of colleges offering liberal arts and sciences are public making it a quite accessible field.

 The far west produces the most liberal arts and sciences graduates, largely led by [California State University-Fresno](/colleges/california-state-university-fresno), while it’s the California Collegiate Athletic Association that leads conference totals. As far as states, California ranks highest, with particular help from [California State University-Fresno](/colleges/california-state-university-fresno) and [California State University-Northridge](/colleges/california-state-university-northridge).

 All that being said, no individual school produces more liberal arts and sciences graduates than [Amridge University](/colleges/amridge-university), which graduated 1753 students last year alone. Although size is critical, another important factor to consider is the program’s density (the percent of all students that study liberal arts and sciences). More students studied liberal arts and sciences as a percentage of total students at [Thomas Aquinas College](/colleges/thomas-aquinas-college) than any other college.



 ### COST

 Liberal arts and sciences is the 52nd most expensive degree in the United States, with a median cost of $48,615 among the top 50 programs (just ahead of #53, [Stringed Instruments](rankings/best-colleges-for-stringed-instruments), with a median cost of $48,305).

 The Mid East has the most expensive schools with top 50 liberal arts and sciences programs predominantly led by [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york) with an annual cost of $58,920. District of Columbia is the most expensive state for liberal arts and sciences led by [Georgetown University](/colleges/georgetown-university).

 Public schools with solid programs typically charge 73.37% less than private schools for in-state students. However, when looking at out-of-state tuition, the median top 50 Public school charges 40.97% less than your average private school. So be sure to look into public shools in your state sooner rather than later.

 The most costly option in the top 25 is [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york), which is the 3rd most expensive college in America. The most affordable option in the top 100 is [Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College](/colleges/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college). It costs just $8,038 per year, but it is its liberal arts and sciences program is ranked #83. If you’re looking for a higher ranked, but still affordable school, [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo](/colleges/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo)  could be a good fit for you, ranked #24 with an in-state cost of just $5,742. Another more affordable option would be #20, [University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus](/colleges/university-of-oklahoma-norman-campus) in Cleveland County, OK with a cost of $4,788 for in-state students and $20,169 for out-of-state students.



### SALARY

 Paying for college is a major investment for most people. It's important to ensure you boost your future earning potential. We hope the following earnings and career information help you in deciding your major at college.

 The average Liberal Arts and Sciences graduate makes a starting salary of $29,087 a year (bottom 16%). With experience in their work lives, they can make as high as $76,212 per annum to as little as $21,041, but average approximately $40,060. To put it in context, that's 4% over the United States average.

 The most common job placement for a Liberal Arts and Sciences graduate is Sales Agent, which by and large earn about $19,000; next are Customer Service Specialist and Analyst, which typically make more or less $23,000 and $54,000 respectively.

 The Southwest has the highest earning Liberal Arts and Sciences graduates. The highest grossing state for Liberal Arts and Sciences graduates is WV. Northeast 10 Conference has the most well paid Liberal Arts and Sciences graduates of any conference..



### PROFESSORS

 Fast Facts for Liberal Arts and Sciences: Median Professor Rating: 4.1 / 5, which is above average.

 Professors unfailingly play an important role in your college experience, regardless of your major. A great teacher might provide inspiration and even make a difficult subject seem fun. Contrarily, a bad professor can mess up your development or even worse... fail you!

 Professors of Liberal Arts and Sciences have a median student rating of 4.1 / 5, putting these professors in the top 41st percentile in the nation grounded in overall professor effectivness. For context a 4.1 rating is 2.5% north of the national median professor rating for all subjects. Liberal Arts and Sciences professors slightly edged-out those from ["Religious Studies"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-religious-studies), whereas ["Game and Interactive Media Design"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-game-and-interactive-media-design)&nbspprofessors ranked one slot above Liberal Arts and Sciences.

 Now for some statistics about Liberal Arts and Sciences professors. Colleges located in fringe towns tend to have the best Liberal Arts and Sciences professors. The Mountain West Conference has the highest rated Liberal Arts and Sciences professors. The Southwest region has the highest rated Liberal Arts and Sciences professors. Public institutions tend to have higher rated Liberal Arts and Sciences professors than private schools. Finally, Tennessee has the highest rated Liberal Arts and Sciences professors in the United States.

 Teodros Kiros, instructor at [Berklee College of Music](/colleges/berklee-college-of-music)&nbspin Boston, MA is the most popular Liberal Arts and Sciences professor in the nation. Siddique Mohamed, professor at [Saint Johns University](/colleges/saint-johns-university)&nbspin Collegeville, MN is the highest rated Liberal Arts and Sciences professor in America, with a rating of 5 / 5.

 Want to know which universities have the [Best Professors](/rankings/best-professors)!



### STUDENTS

 College is a very productive time of one's life; it is a chance for individual growth and maturation. Undergrads start to discover their calling and build many of the underlying skills to be a prosperous adult. But growth goes beyond a classroom environment - the discussions which one has with their classmates, the funny story gained from an eccentric instructor, the exposure to a different way of thinking. Therefore, a diverse student experience tremendously enhances what one gains from the time at college.

 Liberal Arts and Sciences is a more popular subject among students of color than white students. 49% of the nation's Liberal Arts and Sciences majors are white students, followed by latino students (23%), asian students (10%), and students of other races\*\*(10%). The most racially diverse college\* in the top 100 is [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign)&nbspin Champaign, IL.

 Furthermore, Liberal Arts and Sciences significatly skews female, with roughly 7/10 of students majoring in Liberal Arts and Sciences identifying as women. The most gender balanced school in the top 100 is [University of Evansville](/colleges/university-of-evansville) in Evansville, IN.

 Another important type of diversity is income diversity. Liberal Arts and Sciences ranks somewhere near average for economic diversity (55th percentile). 30% of its majors come from families who earn more than $110,000 per year, 16% are from homes who take home between $48,000 and $75,000 a year, and 25% grew up in households who earn under $30,000 a year. [Ball State University](/colleges/ball-state-university) is the most socioeconomically diverse college in the top 100.

 Considering each type of diversity, overall HI is the most diverse state for Liberal Arts and Sciences. The Mid East is the most diverse region, and the Western Athletic Conference is the most diverse conference.

   \* diversity calculations and comparisons are based on [Simpson's Diversity Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_index)   
  \*\* other races is used to refer to non asian, black, latino, or white

  #### Diversity Statistics

  ##### Racial Diversity

 * Asian: 10%
* Black: 7%
* Latino: 23%
* White: 49%
* Other: 10%
  ##### Gender Diversity

 * Male: 31%
* Female: 69%
  ##### Socioeconomic Diversity (By Household Income)

 * Under 30k: 25%
* 30k - 48k: 15%
* 48k - 75k: 16%
* 75k - 110k: 14%
* Over 110k: 30%
  ##### Geographic Diversity

 * In State: 69%
* Out of State: 26%
* International: 5%


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There are about 2,263,015 students enrolled in Liberal Arts and Sciences in the USA.

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2023 Liberal Arts and Sciences Professors

There are about 2,263,015 students enrolled in Liberal Arts and Sciences in the USA.

PROFESSORS