2026 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Connecticut

[Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities](/majors/liberal-arts-sciences-humanities/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong liberal arts / sciences & humanities education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 19 schools to find the best return on investment for liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.
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2026 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Connecticut
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the liberal arts / sciences & humanities degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools
Leading the list is Capital Community College, our #1 best value for liberal arts / sciences & humanities in Connecticut. Located in the city of New Britain, Capital Community College is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,338, with out-of-state students paying around $15,596. Typical student debt for liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates is $6,050. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities graduates of Capital Community College earn a median of $25,072 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $6,050 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Charter Oak State College earned it the #2 place for liberal arts / sciences & humanities. Located in the suburb of New Britain, Charter Oak State College is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,506. Typical student debt for liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates is $20,205. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities graduates of Charter Oak State College earn a median of $44,615 early in their careers. Set against $20,205 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Central Connecticut State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the suburb of New Britain, Central Connecticut State University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,050, with out-of-state students paying around $16,550. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities graduates carry a median of $24,340 in student loans. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities graduates of Central Connecticut State University earn a median of $60,151 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 73%.
Eastern Connecticut State University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value liberal arts / sciences & humanities schools. Eastern Connecticut State University is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Willimantic. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,928, compared with $17,426 for out-of-state students. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities graduates carry a median of $25,373 in student loans. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities graduates of Eastern Connecticut State University earn a median of $41,870 early in their careers. Set against $25,373 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes Southern Connecticut State University one of the best values for liberal arts / sciences & humanities. Southern Connecticut State University is a large public school located in the city of New Haven. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,442, while out-of-state students pay about $16,942. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities graduates carry a median of $26,625 in student loans. Soon after graduation, liberal arts / sciences & humanities degree recipients from Southern Connecticut State University generally make around $36,168. Set against $26,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 92% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Connecticut ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value liberal arts / sciences & humanities schools. Set in the town of Storrs, University Of Connecticut is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $21,044, compared with $43,712 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates is $22,000. Early-career liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates make about $44,240. That is a strong return on a $22,000 median debt. Roughly 52% of applicants are accepted.
Yale University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value liberal arts / sciences & humanities schools. Set in the city of New Haven, Yale University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $67,250. Students borrow a median of $15,750 to complete the liberal arts / sciences & humanities program here. Early-career liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates make about $61,133. Set against $15,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 4%.
University Of Bridgeport ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value liberal arts / sciences & humanities schools. Set in the city of Bridgeport, University Of Bridgeport is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $35,760. Typical student debt for liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates is $35,340. Soon after graduation, liberal arts / sciences & humanities degree recipients from University Of Bridgeport generally make around $43,743. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Bridgeport admits about 83% of applicants.
Wesleyan University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value liberal arts / sciences & humanities schools. Located in the city of Middletown, Wesleyan University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $70,042. Students borrow a median of $16,125 to complete the liberal arts / sciences & humanities program here. Early-career liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates make about $39,764. That is a strong return on a $16,125 median debt. The acceptance rate is 16%.
Goodwin College earned the #10 position for value in liberal arts / sciences & humanities this year. Goodwin College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of East Hartford. Students from in state pay about $21,188 in tuition and fees. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities graduates carry a median of $35,611 in student loans. Soon after graduation, liberal arts / sciences & humanities degree recipients from Goodwin College generally make around $52,724. That is a strong return on a $35,611 median debt.
University Of Hartford ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value liberal arts / sciences & humanities schools. Set in the city of West Hartford, University Of Hartford is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $49,075. Students borrow a median of $12,000 to complete the liberal arts / sciences & humanities program here. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities graduates of University Of Hartford earn a median of $6,992 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Hartford admits about 96% of applicants.
University Of New Haven earned the #12 position for value in liberal arts / sciences & humanities this year. Set in the suburb of West Haven, University Of New Haven is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $47,332 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates is $26,244. Early-career liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates make about $49,615. Set against $26,244 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 60%.
Sacred Heart University landed the #13 spot for liberal arts / sciences & humanities value this year. Set in the suburb of Fairfield, Sacred Heart University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $50,404. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the liberal arts / sciences & humanities program here. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities graduates of Sacred Heart University earn a median of $62,864 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Sacred Heart University admits about 65% of applicants.
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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 · 19 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 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.