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Best Liberal Arts & Humanities Programs 2026

Best liberal arts programs ranked by graduate outcomes. See which schools give humanities majors the strongest earning potential.

25 programs ranked

$38,003 avg salary

15 public schools

💻 Computer Science ⚙️ Engineering 📊 Business & Finance 📈 Economics 🧬 Biology & Pre-Med 📐 Mathematics & Statistics 🏛️ Political Science & Government 🧠 Psychology 🎤 Communications & Media 📚 Liberal Arts & Humanities 📖 Education & Teaching ⚛️ Physics & Physical Sciences

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA

$85,273 median salary$19,813/yr net cost1.5 yr break-even+184% vs. HS diploma

Sociology

Harvard University · Cambridge, MA

$58,277 median salary$16,816/yr net cost2.6 yr break-even+94% vs. HS diploma

History

Harvard University · Cambridge, MA

$50,411 median salary$16,816/yr net cost3.5 yr break-even+68% vs. HS diploma

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies

Stanford University · Stanford, CA

$47,961 median salary$12,136/yr net cost2.9 yr break-even+60% vs. HS diploma

English Language and Literature, General

Stanford University · Stanford, CA

$44,251 median salary$12,136/yr net cost3.7 yr break-even+48% vs. HS diploma

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

University of Chicago · Chicago, IL

$43,324 median salary$18,967/yr net cost6.1 yr break-even+44% vs. HS diploma

Sociology

University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA

$42,238 median salary$14,979/yr net cost5.3 yr break-even+41% vs. HS diploma

History

University of Chicago · Chicago, IL

$40,346 median salary$18,967/yr net cost7.9 yr break-even+34% vs. HS diploma

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA

$39,997 median salary$14,979/yr net cost6.5 yr break-even+33% vs. HS diploma

Sociology

Wayne State University · Detroit, MI

$36,556 median salary$14,773/yr net cost10.2 yr break-even+22% vs. HS diploma

English Language and Literature, General

University of Chicago · Chicago, IL

$35,291 median salary$18,967/yr net cost15.4 yr break-even+18% vs. HS diploma

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI

$33,089 median salary$14,832/yr net cost21.5 yr break-even+10% vs. HS diploma

Fine and Studio Arts

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI

$32,738 median salary$14,832/yr net cost24.3 yr break-even+9% vs. HS diploma

History

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI

$31,870 median salary$14,832/yr net cost35.5 yr break-even+6% vs. HS diploma

History

University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA

$31,678 median salary$14,979/yr net cost38.5 yr break-even+6% vs. HS diploma

English Language and Literature, General

University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA

$31,616 median salary$14,979/yr net cost40 yr break-even+5% vs. HS diploma

English Language and Literature, General

Harvard University · Cambridge, MA

$31,485 median salary$16,816/yr net cost48.7 yr break-even+5% vs. HS diploma

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA

$31,067 median salary$14,979/yr net cost60.6 yr break-even+4% vs. HS diploma

Sociology

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI

$30,003 median salary$14,832/yr net cost22144.7 yr break-even+0% vs. HS diploma

Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services

University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA

$29,747 median salary$14,979/yr net cost+-1% vs. HS diploma

English Language and Literature, General

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI

$28,964 median salary$14,832/yr net cost+-3% vs. HS diploma

Anthropology

Wayne State University · Detroit, MI

$28,921 median salary$14,773/yr net cost+-4% vs. HS diploma

Philosophy

University of Chicago · Chicago, IL

$28,698 median salary$18,967/yr net cost+-4% vs. HS diploma

Anthropology

University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA

$28,620 median salary$14,979/yr net cost+-5% vs. HS diploma

Fine and Studio Arts

Wayne State University · Detroit, MI

$27,658 median salary$14,773/yr net cost+-8% vs. HS diploma

Compare Schools Side by Side

See how different liberal arts & humanities programs stack up on cost, salary, and graduation rates.

Compare Schools Overall Rankings

Rankings are based on data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Programs are ranked by median earnings 1 year after completion. Data reflects bachelor's degree programs only.