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Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in California

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2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in California

9 Colleges
$27,456 Avg Salary
$14,718 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Liberal Arts General Studies School for You

Liberal Arts General Studies is the #123 most popular major in California with 121 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Grad Degree Search has created its Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 9 schools in California to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for liberal arts majors pursuing a .

Top California Schools in Liberal Arts General Studies

Our 2023 rankings named Saint Mary’s College of California the best school in California for liberal arts general studies students. SMC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Moraga.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Saint Mary’s College of California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dominican University of California. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in California list. Located in the small city of San Rafael, DUofC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Dominican University of California

#3

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA

The excellent programs at Mount Saint Mary’s University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best liberal arts general studies schools in California. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, MSMU is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Mount Saint Mary’s University

#4

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend San Francisco State University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in California list. Located in the large city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at San Francisco State University Report

#5

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means San Diego State University is a great place for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the large city of San Diego, SDSU is a public school with a very large student population.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at San Diego State University Report

California State University - Northridge landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts general studies programs. Located in the city of Northridge, CSUN is a public school with a very large student population.

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California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #7 on the list. CSUDH is a large public school located in the city of Carson.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at California State University - Dominguez Hills

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best liberal arts general studies programs. Located in the city of Los Angeles, Cal State LA is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at California State University - Los Angeles

California State University - Sacramento came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in California ranking. Located in the city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public school with a very large student population.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at California State University - Sacramento Report

Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 0
Oregon 23
Nevada 0
Alaska 7

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 9 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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