What is a liberal arts college?

The liberal arts college is a four-year institution that prioritizes undergraduate education across a range of academic disciplines, from the humanities and social sciences to mathematics and the natural sciences.

These colleges emphasize breadth of knowledge and critical inquiry about a technical or professional specialty. Courses are discussion-based, professors usually focus more on teaching than research, and students are encouraged to explore multiple topics before declaring a major.

Most liberal arts colleges are small private institutions with fewer than 3,000 students, which fosters a close-knit academic community and accessible faculty.

Liberal arts colleges versus universities

While they both award bachelor’s degrees, their mission differs. Universities typically include graduate and research programs, while liberal arts colleges focus almost exclusively on undergraduates.

There are always exceptions to the rules, but here are some key comparisons:

The goal of a liberal arts education

The liberal arts have nothing to do with the political spectrum. Liberalism does not refer to political affiliation, but rather to “liberty” or free thinking. The liberal arts are not limited to fine arts such as painting, sculpture, dance, and music. Instead, it refers to any skilled activity that can be improved over time.
A liberal arts education exposes students to a broad range of issues, methods, and ideas so that they can develop a solid intellectual foundation across a wide range of disciplines.

Students who attend a liberal arts school may choose a major or concentration, but half or more of their classes will be in areas outside their primary focus. This allows students to develop interdisciplinary thinking, learning how to make connections outside of a pre-established way of thinking.
Many people praise the liberal arts as a great way to develop students into free thinkers, global citizens, and people who can tackle complex problems.

What can you do with a liberal arts degree

While the goal of becoming a free thinker may seem attractive, many people are unsure of what they can do with a liberal arts degree. Can a liberal arts degree prepare you for the “real world,” where you will be expected to earn a living and solve practical problems. How does a liberal arts degree help?
The truth is that liberal arts degrees do not prepare you for the world of professions or business in the same way that nursing, social work, computer science, or business analytics degrees prepare you for a certain type of job. Finding your first job can be a little difficult because employers cannot easily determine if you are qualified for an entry-level job.
Some liberal arts schools have relationships with corporations, consulting firms, or NGOs. These relationships can make it easier for liberal arts students to break out of the academic world and into their first job. Other schools tend to have a lot of students who are accepted into elite graduate programs or law schools. These programs may prepare students for a more specific type of career.
Liberal arts students develop skills associated with reasoning, written communication, and verbal communication. They are also equipped to use tools from many disciplines. These skills can help liberal arts graduates succeed while working at a large company, as an entrepreneur, in government, or in the nonprofit sector.

Understand the cost of a liberal arts college

In general, liberal arts schools are more expensive than other post-secondary education options. The majority of the most expensive colleges in the United States are liberal arts schools that focus on professors who are teachers first, researchers second.

As a result, funding for liberal arts schools comes primarily from student tuition funds and university endowments rather than from research grants or general funding. Most liberal arts schools are private schools that cost four to five times the cost of public universities.
If you hope to attend a liberal arts college or university, but can’t afford the amount of debt you’ll need to take on, consider looking into school-specific scholarships. In some cases, you may be able to reduce the cost of a liberal arts degree by completing some coursework at a community college. But this strategy only works for some time. Many liberal arts schools want students to have the benefits of small class sizes and a broad range of experience during their first years on campus. You may have difficulty transitioning to a liberal arts school when you are a sophomore or junior. Explore these options at your target school before committing to the community college track.
The direct cost of a liberal arts degree is not the only cost to consider. Many graduates decide to attend graduate school for additional professional training. If a liberal arts degree will limit your job opportunities, you may decide that pursuing an advanced degree is the best path for you. But you’ll also need to factor in this additional cost.

Are liberal arts schools worth it?

Given their high cost, it’s worth asking whether a liberal arts degree is worth the cost. It takes four years, and roughly $200,000 (assuming you’re paying the sticker price at a private college) to get a liberal arts degree. You can earn a nursing degree, a social work degree, or an engineering degree from a prestigious research university in the same amount of time for a fraction of the cost.
According to research from American Association of Colleges and UniversitiesGraduates with engineering degrees tend to outperform all other types of graduates upon graduation and throughout their careers. Those with other degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics earn the next most.
Graduates who focus on the social sciences, humanities, or other “liberal arts” fields earn salaries similar to those who earn pre-professional or professional degrees. These gains are significantly lower than for other types of degrees.
But profits may not be the only thing to consider. Thanks to Public Service Loan Forgiveness, graduates who want to work in government, education, or another form of nonprofit service may be eligible to have their student loans forgiven within 10 years while working in a potentially highly rewarding career.
Other liberal arts students may pursue high-income careers such as working as a business consultant, financial manager, or computer developer. While getting a foot in the door of these jobs can be difficult, earnings tend to be comparable regardless of educational background. If your earnings outlook is important to you, pursue internships and job opportunities during your college experience.

Alternatives to liberal arts schools

If a liberal arts education doesn’t sound like a good fit for you, there are alternatives. Some top alternatives include:

• Community College: Community colleges offer two-year programs that can prepare you to finish a bachelor’s degree or give you job-specific training in certain fields such as aviation and airport management, dental hygiene, or even certain forms of nursing.
• Public colleges and universities: Publicly funded state colleges and universities offer four-year programs that allow you to major in almost anything. Many public universities require a broad education similar to liberal arts schools. However, class sizes in public schools are likely to be much larger than in traditional liberal arts schools.
• Research universities: Research universities are ideal for people who want to obtain a degree in the natural sciences or choose the social sciences (such as economics or psychology). Professors are usually experts in their fields, and laboratories and other equipment tend to be of the highest standard. Research universities prioritize giving students opportunities to conduct research in their field of study. A research university is generally a large public university.

In addition to enrolling in a post-secondary program, you can also start working, start a business, or join the military right out of school. Remember, you can always return to college as an adult.

Should you pursue a liberal arts education?

Ultimately, the decision to pursue a particular educational path is a personal one. A liberal arts education is unlikely to pay off financially, but other benefits may be worthwhile. If you choose to pursue a liberal arts degree, make sure you have a financial plan to pay off your student loans in a timely manner, even if you don’t earn bundles of money.