Liberal Arts & Sciences
Liberal Arts & Sciences 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 & Sciences and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$5,163 Median In-State Public
$30,242 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Liberal Arts & Sciences majors are, on average, $5,163 for in-state public colleges, and $30,242 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Liberal Arts & Sciences programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
344,220 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Liberal Arts & Sciences from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Liberal Arts & Sciences.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,398 |
| 2 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,099 |
| 3 | Ivy Tech Community College | IN | 54,926 |
| 4 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 44,617 |
| 5 | Brigham Young University-Idaho | ID | 42,090 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Liberal Arts & Sciences programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Woodland Community College | CA | $1,124 |
| 2 | Imperial Valley College | CA | $1,126 |
| 3 | Yuba College | CA | $1,128 |
| 4 | Lassen Community College | CA | $1,144 |
| 5 | College of the Redwoods | CA | $1,147 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Liberal Arts & Sciences programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $29 |
| 2 | Central Carolina Community College | NC | $616 |
| 3 | Fort Scott Community College | KS | $665 |
| 4 | Wiregrass Georgia Technical College | GA | $1,228 |
| 5 | West Shore Community College | MI | $1,335 |
Schools with the lowest net price (after financial aid) for Liberal Arts & Sciences 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 & Sciences programs across institutions.
Employment
Information on the businesses and industries that employ Liberal Arts & Sciences 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 & Sciences majors is $99,294.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Liberal Arts & Sciences majors.
Occupations by Share
22,610 2023 Workforce
The number of Liberal Arts & Sciences graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Liberal Arts & Sciences by share of the total number of graduates.
Return on Investment & Value
Financial analysis of Liberal Arts & Sciences degree including debt, earnings, and return on investment metrics.
Financial Value Analysis
ROI data is not available for this degree program.
Financial value comparison for Liberal Arts & Sciences degree.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences 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 & Sciences.
Age distribution for Liberal Arts & Sciences degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
344,220 Total Degrees Awarded
128,607 Male (37.36%)
215,613 Female (62.64%)
Gender distribution of Liberal Arts & Sciences degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
148,051 White (43.01%)
105,120 Hispanic or Latino (30.54%)
33,191 Black or African American (9.64%)
22,278 Asian (6.47%)
15,640 Two or More Races (4.54%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Liberal Arts & Sciences degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Liberal Arts & Sciences are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Liberal Arts & Sciences.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Liberal Arts & Sciences field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Liberal Arts & Sciences majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Liberal Arts & Sciences 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 & Sciences majors.
About
Liberal Arts & Sciences
In 2023, 344,220 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Liberal Arts & Sciences.
CIP Code
24.0101 - Liberal Arts & Sciences
Insights and Analysis
Liberal Arts & Sciences offers students a pathway to career success with diverse opportunities across multiple industries. Prospective students should carefully evaluate factors including costs, outcomes, program quality, and personal interests when making their educational decisions.
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.