Best Liberal Arts Colleges in California
We have created a 2020 ranking of the best colleges in California that offer Liberal Arts degrees to help you find a school that fits your needs. Each school's ranking is based on the compilation of our data from reliable government sources, student surveys, college graduate interviews, and editorial review. In addition, you can view our entire list of all 177 Liberal Arts schools located within California. We also provide reviews, facts, and questions and answers for schools on our site and offer you access to get valuable information from colleges and universities today.
Best Liberal Arts Colleges in California for 2020
| Rank | School Name | Location | Description | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Monica College | Santa Monica, CA |
Santa Monica College offers 2 Liberal Arts Degree programs. It's a very large public college in a small city. In 2015, 2,070 students graduated in the study area of Liberal Arts with students earning 1,266 Certificates degrees, and 804 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Santa Monica College Reviews
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| 2 | Orange Coast College | Costa Mesa, CA |
Orange Coast College offers 2 Liberal Arts Degree programs. It's a very large public college in a mid sized city. In 2015, 1,678 students graduated in the study area of Liberal Arts with students earning 1,179 Certificates degrees, and 499 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Orange Coast College Reviews
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| 3 | Saddleback College | Mission Viejo, CA |
Saddleback College offers 2 Liberal Arts Degree programs. It's a very large public college in a large suburb. In 2015, 1,625 students graduated in the study area of Liberal Arts with students earning 1,320 Certificates degrees, and 305 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Saddleback College Reviews
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| 4 | Irvine Valley College | Irvine, CA |
Irvine Valley College offers 2 Liberal Arts Degree programs. It's a large public college in a mid sized city. In 2015, 1,419 students graduated in the study area of Liberal Arts with students earning 1,059 Certificates degrees, and 360 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Irvine Valley College Reviews
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| 5 | Golden West College | Huntington Beach, CA |
Golden West College offers 2 Liberal Arts Degree programs. It's a large public college in a large suburb. In 2015, 1,414 students graduated in the study area of Liberal Arts with students earning 1,081 Certificates degrees, and 333 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Golden West College Reviews
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| 6 | Grossmont College | El Cajon, CA |
Grossmont College offers 3 Liberal Arts Degree programs. It's a very large public college in a large suburb. In 2015, 1,244 students graduated in the study area of Liberal Arts with students earning 766 Certificates degrees, and 478 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Grossmont College Reviews
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| 7 | Santa Ana College | Santa Ana, CA |
Santa Ana College offers 2 Liberal Arts Degree programs. It's a very large public college in a large city. In 2015, 1,181 students graduated in the study area of Liberal Arts with students earning 1,004 Certificates degrees, and 177 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Santa Ana College Reviews
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| 8 | Santiago Canyon College | Orange, CA |
Santiago Canyon College offers 2 Liberal Arts Degree programs. It's a large public college in a mid sized city. In 2015, 1,064 students graduated in the study area of Liberal Arts with students earning 789 Certificates degrees, and 275 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Santiago Canyon College Reviews
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| 9 | MiraCosta College | Oceanside, CA |
MiraCosta College offers 3 Liberal Arts Degree programs. It's a large public college in a large suburb. In 2015, 1,019 students graduated in the study area of Liberal Arts with students earning 660 Certificates degrees, and 359 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: MiraCosta College Reviews
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| 10 | Santa Barbara City College | Santa Barbara, CA |
Santa Barbara City College offers 2 Liberal Arts Degree programs. It's a very large public college in a small city. In 2015, 1,031 students graduated in the study area of Liberal Arts with students earning 589 Certificates degrees, and 442 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Santa Barbara City College Reviews
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List of all Liberal Arts Colleges in California
| School Logo | School Name | Average tuition | Student Teacher Ratio | Enrolled Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA |
1/5
|
45 : 1 | 30,615 |
|
|
Orange Coast College Costa Mesa, CA |
1/5
|
53 : 1 | 22,140 |
|
|
Saddleback College Mission Viejo, CA |
1/5
|
42 : 1 | 19,552 |
|
|
Irvine Valley College Irvine, CA |
1/5
|
45 : 1 | 13,183 |
|
|
Golden West College Huntington Beach, CA |
1/5
|
49 : 1 | 12,093 |
|
|
Grossmont College El Cajon, CA |
1/5
|
45 : 1 | 18,159 |
|
|
Santa Ana College Santa Ana, CA |
1/5
|
67 : 1 | 29,808 |
|
|
Santiago Canyon College Orange, CA |
1/5
|
50 : 1 | 11,187 |
|
|
MiraCosta College Oceanside, CA |
1/5
|
41 : 1 | 15,062 |
|
|
Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara, CA |
1/5
|
37 : 1 | 17,920 |
|
Palomar College San Marcos, CA |
1/5
|
44 : 1 | 23,482 |
|
Citrus College Glendora, CA |
1/5
|
43 : 1 | 12,999 |
|
Los Angeles Pierce College Woodland Hills, CA |
1/5
|
53 : 1 | 20,767 |
|
Allan Hancock College Santa Maria, CA |
1/5
|
35 : 1 | 10,949 |
|
Hartnell College Salinas, CA |
1/5
|
54 : 1 | 11,176 |
|
Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen, CA |
1/5
|
56 : 1 | 18,838 |
|
American River College Sacramento, CA |
1/5
|
49 : 1 | 29,381 |
|
College of the Sequoias Visalia, CA |
1/5
|
43 : 1 | 11,266 |
|
San Joaquin Delta College Stockton, CA |
1/5
|
55 : 1 | 17,895 |
|
East Los Angeles College Monterey Park, CA |
1/5
|
69 : 1 | 37,188 |
|
Ventura College Ventura, CA |
1/5
|
50 : 1 | 12,989 |
|
Pasadena City College Pasadena, CA |
1/5
|
46 : 1 | 27,050 |
|
Solano Community College Fairfield, CA |
1/5
|
41 : 1 | 9,964 |
|
Los Angeles Southwest College Los Angeles, CA |
1/5
|
41 : 1 | 6,826 |
|
College of the Canyons Santa Clarita, CA |
1/5
|
48 : 1 | 18,437 |
Find Local Colleges with Liberal Arts Majors in California
Additional Liberal Arts Degree Facts for California Schools
California Schools offering online Liberal Arts degrees
Online Liberal Arts degrees are available at a variety of different schools with as many as 758 degrees earned at the most popular school. Read more below about all schools that have offered online Liberal Arts degrees. If you are interested learning more about getting a degree online, check out our page dedicated to online degree information.
| School Name | Certificate | Associate's | Bachelor's | Master's | Doctoral |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Joaquin Delta College | 125 | 633 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Citrus College | 0 | 286 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rio Hondo College | 0 | 262 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Modesto Junior College | 0 | 199 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| California State University-Chico | 0 | 0 | 151 | 0 | 0 |
- 2 Certificates
- 14 Associate's
- 5 Bachelor's
What Liberal Arts degree programs were earned in California?
| Degree Level | Program Length | Colleges | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Associate's | 2-year Length | 116 Colleges | 17,680 Graduates |
| Bachelor's | 4-year Length | 69 Colleges | 4,907 Graduates |
| Certificates | < 1 year Length | 73 Colleges | 21,037 Graduates |
| Master's | 1+ years Length | 5 Colleges | 53 Graduates |