Liberal Arts & Humanities
Liberal Arts & Humanities graduates earn an average annual wage of $99,294, making it one of the higher-paying degree fields. With 22,610 professionals in the field earning competitive wages, this degree offers strong career prospects.
Key Statistics
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Liberal Arts & Humanities and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$8,511 Median In-State Public
$35,960 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Liberal Arts & Humanities majors are, on average, $8,511 for in-state public colleges, and $35,960 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Liberal Arts & Humanities programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
115,450 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Liberal Arts & Humanities from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Liberal Arts & Humanities.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,099 |
| 2 | Ivy Tech Community College | IN | 54,926 |
| 3 | Purdue University-Main Campus | IN | 39,637 |
| 4 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | NJ | 36,357 |
| 5 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | IL | 34,623 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Liberal Arts & Humanities programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tohono O'odham Community College | AZ | $932 |
| 2 | Woodland Community College | CA | $1,124 |
| 3 | Imperial Valley College | CA | $1,126 |
| 4 | Yuba College | CA | $1,128 |
| 5 | Lassen Community College | CA | $1,144 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Liberal Arts & Humanities programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $29 |
| 2 | Coahoma Community College | MS | $560 |
| 3 | Reedley College | CA | $1,584 |
| 4 | Imperial Valley College | CA | $1,697 |
| 5 | Hartnell College | CA | $2,895 |
Schools with the lowest net price (after financial aid) for Liberal Arts & Humanities programs.
Graduation Rates
52.92% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
52.83% Average Graduation Rate
1,520 Institutions Reporting
38.65% - 65.91% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Liberal Arts & Humanities programs across institutions.
Employment
Information on the businesses and industries that employ Liberal Arts & Humanities graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$99,294 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Liberal Arts & Humanities majors is $99,294.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Liberal Arts & Humanities majors.
Occupations by Share
22,610 2023 Workforce
The number of Liberal Arts & Humanities graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Liberal Arts & Humanities by share of the total number of graduates.
Return on Investment & Value
Financial analysis of Liberal Arts & Humanities degree including debt, earnings, and return on investment metrics.
Financial Value Analysis
$45,886 Median Annual Earnings (10 years after enrollment)
771.02% Return on Investment (10-year earnings vs 4-year cost)
This degree shows strong ROI, with 10-year earnings significantly exceeding the cost of education.
$52,680 Estimated Total Cost (4 years at median net price)
Financial value comparison for Liberal Arts & Humanities degree.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Liberal Arts & Humanities in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Liberal Arts & Humanities.
Age distribution for Liberal Arts & Humanities degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
540,324 Total Degrees Awarded
203,902 Male (37.74%)
336,422 Female (62.26%)
Gender distribution of Liberal Arts & Humanities degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
246,161 White (45.56%)
149,878 Hispanic or Latino (27.74%)
57,291 Black or African American (10.60%)
31,054 Asian (5.75%)
23,667 Two or More Races (4.38%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Liberal Arts & Humanities degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Liberal Arts & Humanities are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Liberal Arts & Humanities.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Liberal Arts & Humanities field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Liberal Arts & Humanities majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Liberal Arts & Humanities majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Liberal Arts & Humanities majors.
About
Liberal Arts & Humanities
In 2023, 115,450 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Liberal Arts & Humanities.
CIP Code
24.0100 - Liberal Arts & Humanities
Insights and Analysis
Exceptional Return on Investment: Liberal Arts & Humanities offers an outstanding ROI of 771%, meaning graduates typically earn significantly more over 10 years than the total cost of their education. This makes it one of the most financially rewarding degree choices available.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.