A liberal arts college is a small college, usually private, that focuses almost entirely on undergraduates. Students take courses across the arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences alongside their major. Classes tend to be small and discussion-based, professors do most of the teaching, and most students live on campus all four years.
What "liberal arts" means
The name has nothing to do with politics. It comes from the Latin artes liberales, the broad learning once considered essential for a free person. Today it means studying widely, and learning to write, reason and ask good questions, rather than training for one job.
A liberal arts college is built around that idea. Biology, economics, English and music majors all take a range of courses outside their major, and some ask every student to complete a senior project or thesis.
Liberal arts college vs. university
| Liberal arts college | Large university | |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduates | Usually 1,000 to 3,000 | Often 20,000 or more |
| Graduate students | Few or none | Many, in master's, doctoral and professional programs |
| Who teaches your classes | Mostly professors | Professors, with graduate students often leading labs and discussion sections in large courses |
| Class size | Mostly small, discussion-based | A mix, including large lecture courses early on |
| Curriculum | Broad requirements across many fields | Often organized by separate schools or colleges, such as engineering or business |
| Majors | Arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences; few professional majors | A very wide range, including professional fields |
| Campus life | Mostly residential and close-knit | More choices, more people, often a bigger city or college town |
These are typical patterns, not rules. Some liberal arts colleges have strong science programs and research opportunities, and some universities have small honors colleges inside them.
Some liberal arts colleges, with federal data
A sample from different parts of the country, listed east to west. It's not a ranking, and there are hundreds more.
| College | State | Undergrads | Students per faculty | Acceptance rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowdoin College | ME | 1,873 | 9 to 1 | 7.1% | $67,832 |
| Middlebury College | VT | 2,738 | 8 to 1 | 10.8% | $67,600 |
| Williams College | MA | 2,076 | 6 to 1 | 8.2% | $68,560 |
| Wellesley College | MA | 2,300 | 7 to 1 | 14.1% | $67,176 |
| Hamilton College | NY | 2,030 | 9 to 1 | 13.6% | $68,960 |
| Swarthmore College | PA | 1,613 | 7 to 1 | 7.5% | $65,494 |
| Davidson College | NC | 1,867 | 8 to 1 | 13.4% | $64,410 |
| Spelman College | GA | 3,414 | 11 to 1 | 24.9% | $31,556 |
| Rhodes College | TN | 1,836 | 9 to 1 | 50.3% | $57,110 |
| Kenyon College | OH | 1,732 | 9 to 1 | 31.0% | $71,520 |
| Grinnell College | IA | 1,729 | 9 to 1 | 14.5% | $68,106 |
| Carleton College | MN | 2,086 | 8 to 1 | 20.4% | $68,892 |
| Colorado College | CO | 2,014 | 9 to 1 | 18.5% | $70,734 |
| Pomona College | CA | 1,666 | 7 to 1 | 7.1% | $65,420 |
| Reed College | OR | 1,320 | 9 to 1 | 24.6% | $69,350 |
| Whitman College | WA | 1,531 | 10 to 1 | 38.1% | $64,050 |
Sources: IPEDS (undergraduate enrollment; admissions for the fall 2024 entering class); College Scorecard (published tuition and fees before aid, about 2023–24). You may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships. Student-to-faculty ratios are from IPEDS.
Public liberal arts colleges
Not every liberal arts college is private. The Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) has 25 members in the United States, each a public college committed to this kind of education, at a public price for state residents. A few of them:
| College | State | Undergrads | Students per faculty | In-state tuition | Out-of-state tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUNY Geneseo | NY | 3,869 | 16 to 1 | $8,999 | $19,569 |
| St. Mary's College of Maryland | MD | 1,603 | 10 to 1 | $15,298 | $31,374 |
| University of Mary Washington | VA | 3,566 | 13 to 1 | $14,640 | $27,560 |
| University of North Carolina at Asheville | NC | 2,910 | 13 to 1 | $7,501 | $24,849 |
| Truman State University | MO | 2,513 | 12 to 1 | $9,838 | $18,566 |
| University of Minnesota-Morris | MN | 936 | 9 to 1 | $14,526 | $16,710 |
| The Evergreen State College | WA | 2,160 | 17 to 1 | $9,264 | $31,905 |
| New College of Florida | FL | 843 | 8 to 1 | $6,916 | $29,944 |
Sources: IPEDS (undergraduate enrollment; admissions for the fall 2024 entering class); College Scorecard (published tuition and fees before aid, about 2023–24). You may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships. Membership from COPLAC.
Could a liberal arts college fit you?
You may thrive at a liberal arts college if:
- You learn best by talking ideas through, not by listening to lectures.
- You'd like professors to know your name and your work.
- You're curious about many subjects, or not yet sure what to major in.
- A close community, where you see familiar faces every day, sounds good rather than confining.
A large university may suit you better if you want a very specific professional major, a big-city setting, or the energy of tens of thousands of students. Neither is better. They are different places, and they suit different people.
Questions worth asking on a visit
- How large are introductory courses, and who teaches them?
- How do students find research, internships or study abroad?
- What do students do on weekends?
- How much do students typically pay after aid?
What do liberal arts colleges cost?
Published tuition at private liberal arts colleges is high, often $60,000 to $70,000 a year before aid. Many give substantial need-based aid, so what a family actually pays can be far lower. You may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships. Each college's net price calculator gives an estimate for your family.
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FAQ
What is a liberal arts college? A small, usually private college focused on undergraduates, with a broad curriculum across the arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences, small classes and a residential campus.
Are all liberal arts colleges private? No. Most are, but public liberal arts colleges exist too, such as SUNY Geneseo, St. Mary's College of Maryland and UNC Asheville.
Can you study science at a liberal arts college? Yes. Biology, chemistry, physics, math and computer science are offered at most liberal arts colleges. Engineering and other professional majors are less common.
Is a liberal arts college the same as a liberal arts degree? Not quite. A liberal arts degree is a course of study; you can earn one at a university too. A liberal arts college is a kind of school built around that approach.
How big are liberal arts colleges? Most have between 1,000 and 3,000 undergraduates. The colleges in the table above range from about 1,320 to 3,414.