Top liberal arts colleges by state + 2025-2026 tuition

Quick overview

• Program length: 4 years (120–128 credits on average).
• Core courses: Literature, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, History, Mathematics, English Composition, and so on.
• Most affordable option in-state: Berea College – $0 
• Most expensive option in-state: Wofford College – $75,120
• Most affordable option out-of-state: Berea College – $0 
• Most expensive option out-of-state: Wofford College – $75,120
• Top-ranked schools: Williams College, Amherst College, Swarthmore College, US Naval Academy, and Bowdoin College

Program overview: What to expect from a bachelor’s liberal arts degrees

Length: Most bachelor’s liberal arts degrees take 4 years to complete full-time.
Credits: Typically 120–128.
Format: Many schools now offer hybrid and online options alongside traditional in-person programs. Hybrid and online programs have a lower overall cost-of-attendance. 

Core courses usually include:

• English Composition
• Mathematics
• Literature
• Music
• Art 
• History
• Psychology
• Sociology 
• Philosophy
• Mathematics
• Statistics

Best liberal arts colleges in the US

Find the top 5 colleges and universities in the United States for a bachelor’s liberal arts degree, as sourced from U.S. News World Report’s list of the best liberal arts colleges in the US.

Top 5 colleges for a Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts
Rank	College/University	Private/ in-state resident tuition	Non-state resident tuition
1	Williams College	$72,170	$72,170
2	Amherst College	$73,140	$73,140
3	Swarthmore College	$68,766	$68,766
4	United States Naval Academy	No tuition	No tuition
5	Bowdoin College	$71,070	$71,070

Top liberal arts colleges and tuition by state

The following list contains the best liberal arts colleges by state alongside the 2025-2025 tuition. It is important to note that the overall cost of attendance includes other expenses and fees alongside tuition.  

• Tuition rates mentioned are for the academic year 2025-2026 as updated on 9th September, 2025 – unless specifically mentioned otherwise.
• Academic year tuition rates are based on students taking 15 credit hours per semester and 30 per year. 
• Most colleges charge different rates for additional credits taken in a semester. 
• Some colleges charge a block tuition rate for students taking anywhere between 12 – 18 credits per semester. 
• Where it says Not Applicable (N/A) for non-state resident students, it indicates that the tuition rates are the same for resident and non-resident students.

Top liberal arts colleges and tuition for the academic year 2025-2026
State	Top 3 schools	Private/ in-state resident tuition	Non-state resident tuition
California	Pomona College Claremont McKenna College Harvey Mudd College	$68,250 $71,700 $72,699	$68,250 $71,700 $72,699
Texas	Trinity University Austin College Southwestern University	$56,496 $49,804 $56,219	$56,496 $49,804 $56,219
Florida	New College of Florida Eckerd College Ave Maria University	$6,916 $ 52,690 $31,710	$ 29,944 $ 52,690 $31,710
Virginia	Washington and Lee University University of Richmond Hampden-Sydney College	$70,100 $67,840 $53,984	$70,100 $67,840 $53,984
Massachusetts	Williams College Amherst College Wellesley College	$72,170 $73,140 $68,766	$72,170 $73,140 $68,766
Alaska	University of Alaska Fairbanks University of Alaska Anchorage University of Alaska Southeast	$11,190 $7,230 $7,230	$29,190 $25,230 $25,230
North Carolina	Davidson College Meredith College Johnson C Smith University	$68,450 $47,278 $22,150	$68,450 $47,278 $22,150
Ohio	Denison University Kenyon College Oberlin College	$71,000 $71,870 $68,340	$71,000 $71,870 $68,340
Hawaii	University of Hawaii at Manoa University of Hawaii – West Oahu Brigham Young University – Hawaii	$11,520 $9,180 $9,102 (latter-day saint students)	$33,552 $13,230 $18,204 (non-latter day saint students)
Indiana	DePauw University Wabash College Earlham College	$60,310 $51,300 $54,864	$60,310 $51300 $54,864
Georgia	Spelman College Agnes Scott College Morehouse College	$29,025 $52,212 $30,122	$29,025 $52,212 $30,122
New Jersey	Drew University Princeton University The College of New Jersey	$47,950 $65,210 $20,398	$47,950 $65,210 $26,762
Michigan	Hillsdale College Kalamazoo College Hope College	$32,730 $62,811 $43,450	$32,730 $62,811 $43,450
Pennsylvania	Bryn Mawr College Bucknell University Allegheny College	$67,730 $69,976 $58,160	$67,730 $69,976 $58,160
Colorado	Colorado College University of Colorado Boulder University of Colorado Denver	$73,038 $14,606 $12,573	$73,038 $44,748 $31,917
Arizona	Arizona State University University of Arizona Northern Arizona University	$11,822 $13,900 $13,440	$34,014 $43,100 $30,912
New York	Barnard College Hamilton College Colgate University	$70,644 $71,970 $73,206	$70,644 $71,970 $73,206
Illinois	Wheaton College Principia College Lake Forest College	$47,240 $34,800 $58,000	$47,240 $34,800 $58,000
Montana	Montana Technological University  Montana State University University of Montana Western	$17,540 $8,946 $4,845.06	$53,140 $33,782 $17,374.94
Kentucky	Berea College Centre College Transylvania University	$0 $54,890 $48,920	$0 $54,890 $48,920
Alabama	Oakwood University Amridge University Auburn University	$20,722 $8,250 $13,318	$20,722 $8,250 $36,022
Maine	Bowdoin College Colby College Bates College	$71,070 $72,910 $70,146	$71,070 $72,910 $70,146
Utah	Brigham Young University University of Utah Mount Liberty College	$6,888 (latter-day saint students) $10,004 $15,000 (24-25)	$13,776 (non-latter-day saint students) $31,748 $15,000 (24-25)
New Hampshire	Saint Anselm College University of New Hampshire at Manchester Thomas More College of Liberal Arts	$50,850 $15,908 $30,000	$50,850 $37,070 $30,000
New Mexico	St. John’s College Eastern New Mexico University New Mexico State University	$40,936 $4,194 $8,558	$40,936 $6,174 $26,884
Oregon	Reed College Willamette University Lewis & Clark College	$71,460 $53,940 $67,614	$71,460 $53,940 $67,614
Maryland	Washington College St. John’s College (MD) St. Mary’s College of Maryland	$56,988 $40,936 $24,958	$56,988 $40,936 $58,076
Washington	Whitman College University of Puget Sound University of Washington	$66,050 $65,270 $13,406	$66,050 $65,270 $44,640
Arkansas	Hendrix College Ouachita Baptist University Lyon College	$39,200 $45,940 $29,900	$39,200 $45,940 $29,900
Missouri	College of the Ozarks Westminster College (MO) University of Missouri	$23,900 $33,056 $19,516	$23,900 $33,056 $41,788
Minnesota	Carleton College College of St. Benedict Bethany Lutheran College	$71,607 $57,698 $33,270	$71,607 $57,698 $33,270
Tennessee	The University of the South Rhodes College Fisk University	$57,916 $58,272 $23,880	$57,916 $58,272 $23,880
Louisiana	Centenary College Dillard University Tulane University	$43,450 $19,194 $71,998	$43,450 $19,194 $71,998
Wyoming	University of Wyoming Northwest College Wyoming Catholic College	$5,400 $3,150 $27,634	$22,020 $9,450 $27,634
South Carolina	Furman University Wofford College Presbyterian College	$61,034 $75,120 $43,060	$61,034 $75,120 $43,060
Mississippi	Millsaps College Rust College Tougaloo College	$42,580 $26,645.76 $14,880	$42,580 $26,645.76 $14,880
Wisconsin	Lawrence University Beloit College Ripon College	$58,482 $62,586 $52,900	$58,482 $62,586 $52,900
Idaho	University of Idaho Boise State University Lewis-Clark State College	$9,400 $9,364 $7,876	$28,636 $28,478 $22,798
Iowa	Grinnell College Luther College Cornell College	$71,788 $53,190 $54,056	$71,788 $53,190 $54,056
Connecticut	Wesleyan University  Trinity College Connecticut College	$72,438 $70,360 $69,836	$72,438 $70,360 $69,836
West Virginia	University of Charleston West Virginia University Marshall University	$33,490 $10,752 $9,388	$33,490 $30,432 $20,390
Rhode Island	Brown University Providence College Salve Regina University	$71,700 $64,870 $51,300	$71,700 $64,870 $51,300
Vermont	Middlebury College Bennington College Saint Michael’s College	$70,120 $67,850 $49,950	$70,120 $67,850 $49,950
Nevada	University of Nevada, Reno University of Nevada, Las Vegas Truckee Meadows Community College	$10,309 $10,196 $6,255	$28,941 $28,828 $8,900
Nebraska	Creighton University College of St. Mary University of Nebraska, Lincoln	$48,700 $26,494 $11,100	$48,700 $26,494 $30,330
Kansas	Kansas State University University of Kansas Pittsburg State University	$12,694 $11,268 $8,599	$30,388 $29,598 $19,943
Delaware	University of Delaware Wilmington University Goldey-Beacom College	$15,280 $12,870 $17,010	$40,840 $14,250 $17,010
North Dakota	University of North Dakota North Dakota State University Valley City State University	$9,791.28 $19,736 $6,983	$9,791.28 $22,104 $12,220
South Dakota	Augustana University University of South Dakota Mount Marty University	$53,500 (26-27) $9,687 $32,650	$53,500 (26-27) $13,299 $32,650
Oklahoma	University of Oklahoma University of Science and Arts – Oklahoma The University of Tulsa	$10,180.5 $6,630 $50,760	$28,300.5 $17,820 $50,760

Important Notice!

• Birmingham Southern College, though listed as one of the best liberal arts colleges in Alabama in AI generated reviews, is no longer operational as of May 31, 2024, due to a lack of funding. 

What factors affect tuition rates?

Several factors affect tuition rates for an undergraduate degree. These include:

• School type– private schools charge more than public colleges and universities
• State residency status – state residents pay a lower tuition than non-state residents
• Funding opportunities – available scholarships, grants, and so on. 
• Number of credit hours – most schools charge a set block rate for a set number of credits per semester (12-18). Students taking more credits will pay additional fees and will be charged the standard per-credit rate for additional credits taken.

Liberal arts degree – ROI statistics

The majority of liberal arts colleges in the US are private institutions. However, a handful of public institutions, too, offer a liberal arts degree in the country. The Return On Investment (ROI) and the time taken to recover the cost of getting a liberal arts degree depends on the type of institution a student attends as it dictates how much a student pays for their degree. 

• The average cost of tuition at a private institution in the US for the year 2024-2025 was $43,505 as per US News and World Report. 
• The average cost of attending a public university for in-state students was $11,011 for the academic year 2024-2024.
• Out-of-state students paid an average of $24,513 per year to study at public institutions for the same academic year. 
• According to Zip Recruiter, entry level salaries for liberal arts graduates range from $28,500 per year (25th Percentile) to $83,000 per year (90th Percentile) as of August 2025. 
• The average salary for liberal arts jobs in the US is $40,987 per year as of August 2025. 
• The ROI for a liberal arts degree by institution type, for liberal arts graduates in the middle of their career is as follows: 
  • Private colleges tuition rates: +136%
  • Public in-state colleges tuition rates: +831%
  • Public out-of-state tuition rates: +318%
• However, average entry-level and mid-career salaries vary greatly by a student’s choice of major. Here is a comparison of entry and mid-career salaries for different liberal arts majors in 2023, as sourced through Bankrate.

Subject	Entry-level salary	Mid-career salary	Salary increment %
Chemistry	$55,000	$90,000	64%
Economics	$70,000	$110,000	57%
History	$45,000	$77,000	71%
Physics	$70,000	$100,000	44%
Psychology	45,000	70,000	56%

Factors that affect ROI

Calculating the Return On Investment (ROI) of a bachelor’s in liberal arts is not a straightforward task and depends on multiple factors:

• Skills developed 
• Career path chosen 
• Networking 
• Access to resources, including internships and apprenticeship opportunities
• Exact tuition cost  

Frequently Asked Questions 

1) Why are liberal arts degrees in demand?

Many liberal arts majors are often bashed as useless in the current job market where AI has taken over a significant majority of operations. However, the value of an educational program that has stood the test of time and remained relevant for centuries cannot and should not be ignored. The intrinsically human skills a classical liberal arts education hones, prepares graduates to take on a diverse range of roles in today’s job market. 

Key skills developed include:

• Critical thinking
• Problem solving 
• Written and oral communication
• Analytical reasoning
• Research skills

These skills are highly valued by employers. According to experts quoted by Forbes, though AI tools are prevalent in today’s market, students can greatly benefit from skills gained through a liberal arts degree when it comes to evaluating different AI tools, assessing the content and responses AI generates, recognizing biases in algorithms, and improving these technologies. 

So, while STEM majors and degrees enable graduates to earn a higher salary earlier in their careers, a liberal arts degree pays off in the long run. Comprehensive liberal arts training prepares graduates to take on leadership roles that help shape the future of organizations. 

2) What can you do with a liberal arts degree?

Here are some career opportunities available to graduates with a liberal arts degree. 

Job title	Average annual salary	Job growth rate
Public Relations Specialist	$69,780	5%
Human Resource Specialist	$72,910	6%
Event Planner	$59,440	5%
Social Worker	$61,330	6%
Market Researcher	$76,950	7%

3) Which is better – a liberal arts degree or a general studies degree? 

Here’s a detailed comparison of a liberal arts degree vs a general studies degree. Let’s see how the two compare in terms of career opportunities, ROI, and more.

Categories	Liberal Arts	General Studies
Level	Undergraduate – Associate’s & Bachelor’s + Master’s options	Undergraduate – Associate’s & Bachelor’s
Focus	Broad exposure to humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences with a strong emphasis on critical thinking, writing, and analysis	Flexible, interdisciplinary program allowing students to design a curriculum from multiple fields and focuses on breadth over depth
Best for	Students interested in humanities, social sciences, law, education, public service, or graduate school pathways	Students seeking flexibility, undecided majors, transfer students, or working adults needing degree completion
Cost	Average cost: Private: $43,505 Public In-state: $11,011 Public Out-of-state: $24, 513	Similar tuition rates – but can be cheaper if pursued through community colleges or degree completion programs
Duration	Associate’s (2 years), Bachelor’s (4 years), Masters (1-2 years)	Associate’s (2 years) and Bachelor’s (4 years)
Career outcomes	Teacher Policy Analyst Writer/Editor Non-Profit Manager Marketing/Communications Grad School – Law, MBA, and more.	Administrative Roles Customer Service Sales General Management Human Resources Transfer to specialized graduate programs

4) Why is liberal arts better?

A liberal arts education is often considered better because it develops well-rounded skills that go beyond any single career path. By blending the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and arts, it builds strong critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving abilities. This broad foundation makes graduates adaptable in a rapidly changing job market and also prepares them for advanced studies or leadership roles, while encouraging personal growth and civic responsibility.

Related: What is the liberal arts education experience like?

5) What is the purpose of liberal arts?

The purpose of a liberal arts education is to provide students with a broad, well-rounded foundation of knowledge while developing essential skills such as critical thinking, communication, creativity, and problem-solving. Instead of focusing only on technical or vocational training, liberal arts aim to cultivate intellectual curiosity, adaptability, and an understanding of diverse perspectives. The program prepares students not just for specific jobs, but for lifelong learning, engaged citizenship, and leadership in a rapidly changing world.