2026 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Louisiana
[Liberal Arts](/majors/liberal-arts-sciences-humanities/liberal-arts-and-general-studies/liberal-arts/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 6 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value liberal arts schools.
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2026 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Louisiana
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in liberal arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools
Our analysis ranked Louisiana State University Shreveport the best value for a degree in liberal arts in Louisiana. Set in the city of Shreveport, Louisiana State University Shreveport is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,327. Students borrow a median of $34,500 to complete the liberal arts program here. Liberal Arts graduates of Louisiana State University Shreveport earn a median of $34,855 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Louisiana State University Shreveport admits about 50% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in liberal arts will find it at Baton Rouge Community College, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge Community College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,321. Liberal Arts graduates carry a median of $17,300 in student loans. Liberal Arts graduates of Baton Rouge Community College earn a median of $28,650 early in their careers. Set against $17,300 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Mcneese State University earned it the #3 place for liberal arts. Set in the city of Lake Charles, Mcneese State University is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,489, while out-of-state students pay about $9,989. Typical student debt for liberal arts graduates is $22,063. Soon after graduation, liberal arts degree recipients from Mcneese State University generally make around $36,466. Set against $22,063 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 78%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Northwestern State University Of Louisiana earned it the #4 place for liberal arts. Set in the town of Natchitoches, Northwestern State University Of Louisiana is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,864, while out-of-state students pay about $19,652. Liberal Arts graduates carry a median of $27,368 in student loans. Early-career liberal arts graduates make about $33,418. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 92%.
More Liberal Arts Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, 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.
