For the student who has a broad interest in many different areas, a major in Liberal Arts and General Studies may be for you.
This major will not put you on a specific career track; rather you will become skilled in many different areas such as reading, writing, research and critical thinking. You will build a broad education base and will learn skills that will become accessible in any career. Students may be able to choose a concentration where they can delve into a particular subject that interests them. Examples of this would include the humanities, natural sciences, or the social sciences.
Some courses you may take with this major include: biology, biological concepts, foreign language, English literature, environmental science, social and political movements, music history, mathematics, art, introduction to theater, fundamentals of economics, psychology, and religion.
DEBUG: Raw major_slug = "liberal-arts-sciences-humanities//liberal-arts-and-general-studies"
DEBUG: Checking offer "General Studies (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "General Studies (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelors Programs (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelors Programs (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "AA in Liberal Arts" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "AA in Liberal Arts" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "BA in General Studies" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "BA in General Studies" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: relevant_offers count = 4
DEBUG: relevant_offers > 0, checking for ESYOH offers
DEBUG: ESYOH filtering - found 2 ESYOH offers with relevance >= 0.8
DEBUG: esyoh_offers count = 2
DEBUG: ESYOH offers found, rendering ESYOH widget
DEBUG: most_relevant_only = true, filtering for most relevant
DEBUG: Found 2 offers with relevance >= 1.0
Liberal Arts General Studies Degrees in the United States
#1Most Popular Major
539kDegrees Awarded
239Schools Offering Degrees
Liberal Arts General Studies was the 1st most popular major in the 2021-2022 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 538,925 degrees in this year alone.
This year's Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools ranking compares 1154 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Explore this or one of our many other custom liberal arts rankings further below.
DEBUG: Checking offer "General Studies (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "General Studies (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelors Programs (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Liberal Arts & Humanities Bachelors Programs (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "AA in Liberal Arts" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "AA in Liberal Arts" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "BA in General Studies" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "BA in General Studies" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: relevant_offers count = 4
DEBUG: relevant_offers > 0, checking for ESYOH offers
DEBUG: ESYOH filtering - found 2 ESYOH offers with relevance >= 0.8
DEBUG: esyoh_offers count = 2
DEBUG: ESYOH offers found, rendering ESYOH widget
DEBUG: most_relevant_only = true, filtering for most relevant
DEBUG: Found 2 offers with relevance >= 1.0
What Are The Requirements For a Degree in Liberal Arts General Studies
This is a very interdisciplinary subject. You will be asked to be self-disciplined and work hard to accomplish all of your assignments. Not only will you be engaging in various subjects at the same time, but you will also make connections between different subjects. Curiosity and an open mind are critical as you will regularly delve into new content. By experiencing an abundance of courses you will determine what you enjoy and shape your focus.
It is also important that you are able to work with people. You will be asked to participate in class discussions and work with your peers for group projects. This will let you to gain different perspectives and will also sharpen your oral communication skills. Reading and writing skills will also be improved. You should be ready to do a lot of reading and write a lot of research papers and response journals.
ADBLOCK #171
Prior Education for a Liberal Arts Program
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for most liberal arts degree programs and many students will need a minimum GPA and SAT/ACT score depending on the school. In addition to these basic liberal arts general studies program qualifications, to serve in some liberal arts careers, special certification may be required outside of your degree.
Types of Liberal Arts General Studies Degrees
Liberal Arts degree levels vary. Liberal Arts General Studies programs offered by schools range from a to a , which is the highest liberal arts degree you can get. The type of liberal arts degree you choose will determine how long it takes to get your diploma.
Degree
Credit Requirements
Typical Program Length
Associate Degree
60-70 credits
2 years
Bachelor’s Degree
120 credits
4 years
Master’s Degree
50-70 credits
1-3 years
Doctorate
Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation
At least 4 years
Liberal Arts Careers
AverageNumber of Jobs
$31.8kAverage Starting Salary
9% GrowthJob Outlook 2016-26
With a degree in Liberal Arts and General Studies your career opportunities will seem endless. You will learn many important skills while in school that can transfer to just about any career. One option is to go to graduate school to obtain a Master's in business, law or education. You can also go right into the work force and work in advertising, business, marketing, project management, journalism, or public relations.
The career opportunities are vast. Salary will depend greatly upon what career you choose and how much effort you are willing to put in as an undergrad developing your skills.
Solid Growth Projected for Liberal Arts Careers
Want a job when you graduate with your liberal arts degree? Liberal Arts General Studies careers are expected to grow 9.4% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to liberal arts general studies.
Occupation Name
Projected Jobs
Expected Growth
Professors
258,700
9.4%
DEBUG: Raw major_slug = "liberal-arts-sciences-humanities//liberal-arts-and-general-studies"
How Much Money Do People With a Liberal Arts Degree Make?
Recently graduated liberal arts general studies students earned an average of $31,792 in <nil>. Earnings can range from as low as $6,992 to as high as $103,135. As you might expect, salaries for liberal arts graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
High Paying Careers for Liberal Arts Majors
Salaries for liberal arts general studies graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers liberal arts grads often go into.
Occupation Name
Median Average Salary
Professors
$76,990
ADBLOCK #172
Getting Your Liberal Arts General Studies Degree
With over 4,804 different liberal arts degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased liberal arts school rankings to help you with this.
Top Ranking Lists for Liberal Arts General Studies
by our College Data Analytics Team
