2026 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Utah
[Liberal Arts](/majors/liberal-arts-sciences-humanities/liberal-arts-and-general-studies/liberal-arts/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for liberal arts students.
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2026 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Utah
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the liberal arts degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools
For return on investment in liberal arts, no school beat Salt Lake Community College this year. Located in the suburb of Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Community College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $4,426 in tuition and fees, compared with $14,244 for out-of-state students. Liberal Arts graduates carry a median of $7,313 in student loans. Soon after graduation, liberal arts degree recipients from Salt Lake Community College generally make around $35,804. Set against $7,313 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in liberal arts will find it at Utah Valley University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Orem, Utah Valley University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,507, while out-of-state students pay about $18,489. Liberal Arts graduates carry a median of $15,729 in student loans. Liberal Arts graduates of Utah Valley University earn a median of $36,228 early in their careers. Set against $15,729 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in liberal arts will find it at Weber State University, which ranked #3. Weber State University is a very large public school located in the city of Ogden. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,557, while out-of-state students pay about $17,545. Liberal Arts graduates carry a median of $17,208 in student loans. Liberal Arts graduates of Weber State University earn a median of $37,015 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $17,208 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Utah State University earned it the #4 place for liberal arts. Utah State University is a very large public school located in the city of Logan. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,560, while out-of-state students pay about $24,993. Liberal Arts graduates carry a median of $15,959 in student loans. Soon after graduation, liberal arts degree recipients from Utah State University generally make around $29,916. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 92% of applicants are accepted.
More Liberal Arts Rankings
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Notes and References
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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- 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 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.
