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Deciding which college to attend can be a daunting task. For many, it will be the most important decision that they make in their lives. To make an informed decision, you have to consider a lot of variables, such as cost of attendance, financial aid, student/teacher ratio, academics, student life, and more. These factors will either positively or negatively impact the quality of education that you receive.
Do you want to acquire a bachelor’s in liberal arts, but don’t know what institution you should attend? Well, if you are as ambitious as I was in my late teens, then you want to attend a top school, instead of an average or mediocre one. Fortunately, we have already done the legwork for you. To help you find the right school for your interests and goals, we’ve compiled a list of 2022’s best bachelor’s in liberal arts programs.
What institution did we forget? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
Williams College has the quintessential private liberal arts college experience. Williams College, which was established in the 18th century, stresses excellence in teaching and academic mentorship—while giving great freedom to learners to carve out their academic path.
All Williams, small class sizes are the norm. With a learner to faculty ratio of 7:1, you can be sure that your professors will know you by name. There are no required classes, just guidelines to ensure breadth and depth. And learners can select experiential education classes, off-campus study, study abroad, or one of the immersive Special Academic Programs. Popular majors consist of:
- Economics
- Biology
- English Language and Literature
To comprehend the possibilities of a Williams College education, take a look at one of their hallmark academic encounters—the tutorial. Over a semester, two learners take turns to develop an independent work, then sit down weekly with a professor to discuss and sharpen their arguments. This kind of academic mentorship, coupled with one of the most generous financial aid programs in the country, is what makes a Williams College education so valuable.
Situated near LA in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, Pomona College is a member of the prominent Claremont College consortium. Combining a pioneering approach to learning with the traditional liberal arts subjects. Pomona College’s diverse learner body benefits from a wide range of educational and social changes, and Pomona College is rated among the top ten national liberal arts colleges in the United States.
At Pomona College, learners encounter coursework rooted in the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences—in the context of a close-knit residential community. Learners also have abundant chances to study across subjects. Popular majors at Pomona College consist of:
- Social Sciences
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences
- Physical Sciences
Pomona learners have a great deal of freedom to carve out their educational path. Learners can also take classes at the other six colleges in the Claremont Colleges consortium. Learners have access to Pomona College’s state-of-the-art laboratories and facilities, and nearly half of all Pomona learners study abroad via one of their 59 programs.
If you’re looking for a college that couples the best of the liberal arts tradition with premier engineering, science, and mathematics programs, Harvey Mudd College is your school. Situated just outside LA, Harvey Mudd College is a member of the elite Claremont College consortium and is rated among the top national liberal arts colleges in the United States.
Learners can blend a passion for physics with their love for music or literature, resulting in graduates who are well-rounded and ready to lead. Popular majors consist of:
- Engineering
- Computer and Information Sciences
- Physical Sciences
With opportunities to carry out high-level research in cutting-edge laboratories, learners at Harvey Mudd College engage in real-life learning from the start. The Clinic Program is an example of this. The degree program enables learners to collaborate on solve real-life problems for real companies. The school has a generous financial aid policy; they are committed to providing 100 percent of every learners’ demonstrated need.
Bowdoin College is a private college that is rated among the top national liberal arts colleges in the US. Bowdoin College invests deeply in academic mentorship, strong faculty-learner relationships, cooperative learning, and encourages academic risk-taking.
At Bowdoin, College experience lies in formative relationships—between learners of distinct backgrounds and dedicated, world-class faculty. Bowdoin College learners can construct an educational plan within the confines of university requirements. They engage with one other in the classroom along within state-of-the-art laboratories, field stations, museums, libraries, theaters, art and dance studios, and recital hall. Popular majors consist of:
- Political Science and Government
- Economics
- Biology
Beyond the classroom, Bowdoin College learners have can participate in research, internships, and community-based service programs. Many Bowdoin learners also expand their horizons via off-campus study, which takes place around the world, and Bowdoin College is committed to its learners regardless of financial status—all Bowdoin College learners have their demonstrated financial needs met without taking out loans.
Situated in a liberal arts mecca, Claremont McKenna College is one of the nation’s top private liberal arts colleges. Claremont McKenna College has stellar liberal arts coursework with a real-world emphasis and particular expertise in economics and government.
CMC learners experience the best of the small residential college atmosphere—with a learner to faculty ratio of 9:1. The college’s real-world emphasis means that nearly 90 percent of learners participate in internships that prepare them for life after college. Popular majors consist of:
- Economics
- Political Science and Government
- International Relations and Affairs
Amherst College is a top-rated, private liberal arts college with a reputation for both innovation and scholarly excellence. Amherst learners can finish their bachelor of arts in 38 fields of study—all of which bring them into close contact with legendary faculty.
A definitive feature of Amherst College’s liberal arts experience is its open coursework. With a few required classes outside their major, learners encounter an exceptional amount of freedom to experiment with other academic interests. Each learner works directly with an academic advisor to construct a degree program of study that enables them to investigate intellectual and creative interests, preparing them for a life of active learning. Popular majors consist of:
- Economics
- Mathematics
- Psychology
- English language and Literature
Amherst College has the best that a small liberal arts college has (including a faculty-learner ratio of 8:1) coupled with the class choice of a much larger institution setting. And Amherst encourages an international viewpoint—with learners from more than 50 countries, and more than 40 percent of Amherst learners taking part in their extensive study-abroad degree program.
Swarthmore College sits near the top of ratings in several categories, including National Liberal Arts Colleges, Best Undergraduate Teaching, and Best Value Schools. It offers learners a rigorous, involved education in an array of fields.
At Swarthmore College, intellectually passionate learners from diverse backgrounds come together to collaborate. Swarthmore’s mission centers around a rigorous and broad education. They offer more than 600 undergraduate classes and research chances. And a learner to faculty ratio of 8:1 means that learners have close relationships with their professors. Top majors consist of:
- Social Sciences
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences
- Education
A private liberal arts college situated in Vermont’s Champlain Valley (between the Adirondacks and the Green Mountains), Middlebury College has a holistic liberal arts education in an idyllic setting. The College is rated among the top liberal arts colleges in the United States, and their majors, whether they be scientific or the humanities—all reflect Middlebury’s historic commitment to immersive learning.
Middlebury’s coursework offers both depth via a chosen major and breadth through a set of distribution requirements. And Middlebury has designed the education in action degree program to ensure that each undergraduate has at least one experiential study; these consist of internships, community service chances, and self-directed projects. Popular majors consist of:
- Economics
- Neuroscience
- Environmental Studies
Middlebury’s natural environment has led to their taking a leading role in sustainability efforts in the region; the college recently met its objective of achieving carbon neutrality as an institution.
Washington and Lee University learners are mentored by stellar faculty and can earn either a bachelor of science or a bachelor of arts degree. Popular majors consist of:
- Business Administration and Management
- Accounting and Business/Management
- Political Science and Government
Situated in a lakeside college town, Davidson College is a private liberal arts college that is rated among the best in the country. At the heart of Davidson College lies their unique honor code, which trains learners to govern their behavior and designs a spirit of trust among learners, faculty, and staff.
Davidson College’s world-class faculty mentor learners via coursework that offers in-depth study in one area (a chosen major) along with the breadth of experience across many fields and subjects. Learners engage in extensive exploration of original work through the academic year and during the summer. Popular majors consist of:
- Biology
- Economics
- Political Science and Government
Situated in Madison County, Colgate University is a private liberal arts college with a national reputation. At Colgate, learners experience the small classes and community spirit of a residential college, with the class selection of a larger institution. And the university’s celebrated liberal arts core coursework helps learners become thoughtful, critical thinkers, and conscious leaders.
At Colgate University, faculty-learner interaction is the norm—both in and outside the classroom. And with a focus on multidisciplinary knowledge, the core coursework offers links between majors, providing a shared intellectual foundation for the entire school. To foster a breadth of learning, learners take six classes from subjects that range from the humanities to the natural sciences. Popular majors consist of:
- Economics
- Political Science and Government
- English Language and Literature
All first-year and sophomore learners at Colgate University live in the school’s Residential Commons. And many learners select to travel abroad as undergraduates. Colgate offers more than 130 off-campus study opportunities in 50 countries (including the US), including semester-long faculty-led programs, endorsed programs at other institutions, and three-week extended study classes.
Situated just 10 miles from Philadelphia, Haverford College is a small, private liberal arts college that imbues a sense of high principle in its learners. Haverford places a strong emphasis on undergraduate involvement in faculty research, a training that culminates in a senior thesis.
Haverford College was originally established by Quakers, and though the school no longer retains the affiliation, the school’s deep commitment to social justice continues to be a deep influence on its core coursework. Learners can select to finish either a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science in 31 majors across the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. Popular majors consist of:
- Social Sciences
- Physical Sciences
- English Language and Literature
Academic Centers at Haverford College take learners out of the classroom, providing funding and support for learners to carry out original scholarship as undergraduates. And with over 145 learner clubs and organizations to select from—from cultural interests to STEM and sustainability—Haverford learners don’t have much time to miss fraternities or sororities on campus.
Wesleyan University is a highly rated private liberal arts college with a distinctive culture. Though focusing primarily on undergraduate education, Wesleyan offers master’s and PhD degree programs as well. And the school is rated among the most veteran-friendly of the national liberal arts colleges.
Wesleyan maintains a learner to faculty ratio of 8:1. For learners, this means small class sizes and the capacity to build relationships with professors. Wesleyan has 45 majors, 17 minors, and 12 certificates. Learners, with the guidance of academic advisors, develop their unique programs of study, which reflect their interests. Top majors consist of:
- Economics
- Psychology
- Political Science and Government
Situated in the second-largest city in Maine, Bates College is a small, private liberal arts college that has the distinction of being the first coeducational college in New England. Their liberal arts coursework places a strong emphasis on independent scholarship at the undergraduate level. And the ethos of the college teaches learners to lead in a deeply thoughtful and intentionally ethical way.
At Bates College, learners are urged to select classes commonly, even as they focus their interests on one of 35 major areas. Bates College encourages learners to cross subjects in their effort to investigate broadly and deeply—and all learners write a thesis before graduation, giving them a taste of the joys and rigors of original scholarship.
- Social Sciences
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences
- Psychology
At Bates, learners experience a web of support. The professor who teaches a learner’s first-year seminar becomes their academic advisor and works with them to ensure that they comprehend the general education requirements and are working toward fulfilling them. And the Learner Affairs Office also offers a support advisor for each learner to help with the many extra and co-curricular activities available to them.
Carleton College has earned national acclaim for its pioneering programs, which are undeniably rigorous, but in a highly supportive environment. Learners are urged to collaborate, rather than compete—and with a mean class size of 18, close connections between learners and faculty are the norm. And professors welcome learner involvement in their research. Popular majors consist of:
- Social Sciences
- Physical Sciences
- Visual and Performing Arts
Carleton College’s school year has a unique trimester system. This schedule propels learners via three (rather than four) classes at a time in 10-week terms. This enables learners to delve deeply into fewer concepts at a time while having more chances to select distinct classes across the year.
