by our College Data Analytics Team
[Humanities](/majors/liberal-arts-sciences-humanities/liberal-arts-and-general-studies/humanities/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong humanities education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for humanities students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in humanities, balancing cost against outcomes.
Our analysis ranked Barton County Community College the best value for a degree in humanities in Kansas. Set in the rural area of Great Bend, Barton County Community College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,680, while out-of-state students pay about $4,960. Humanities graduates carry a median of $10,000 in student loans. Early-career humanities graduates make about $44,536. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Washburn University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in humanities, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Topeka, Washburn University is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,945 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $20,949. Typical student debt for humanities graduates is $19,750. Early-career humanities graduates make about $50,955. Set against $19,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Kansas earned it the #3 place for humanities. University Of Kansas is a very large public school located in the city of Lawrence. Students from in state pay about $12,102 in tuition and fees, compared with $30,432 for out-of-state students. Humanities graduates carry a median of $22,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, humanities degree recipients from University Of Kansas generally make around $42,527. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 94% of applicants are accepted.
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This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.