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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

$37,721 avg salary

17 public schools

View as table

Rank	Program	School	State	Median Salary	Annual Cost	Value Score	Break-Even
1	Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	MA	$85,273	$19,813/yr	99/100	1.5 yr
2	Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	Stanford University	CA	$47,961	$12,136/yr	86/100	2.9 yr
3	English Language and Literature, General	Stanford University	CA	$44,251	$12,136/yr	83/100	3.7 yr
4	Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services	Brandeis University	MA	$43,816	$33,885/yr	53/100	10.5 yr
5	Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	University of Chicago	IL	$43,324	$14,860/yr	81/100	4.9 yr
6	Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	The University of Texas at Austin	TX	$41,004	$19,857/yr	75/100	7.9 yr
7	Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	University of California-Berkeley	CA	$39,997	$13,481/yr	78/100	5.9 yr
8	Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	The University of Texas at Austin	TX	$36,231	$19,857/yr	60/100	13.9 yr
9	English Language and Literature, General	Michigan State University	MI	$35,931	$20,751/yr	54/100	15.4 yr
10	English Language and Literature, General	University of Chicago	IL	$35,291	$14,860/yr	67/100	12.3 yr
11	Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	Brandeis University	MA	$34,857	$33,885/yr	29/100	29.8 yr
12	Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	University of Wisconsin-Madison	WI	$33,908	$16,928/yr	56/100	19.2 yr
13	Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	NC	$33,170	$12,983/yr	58/100	18 yr
14	Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	NC	$33,146	$12,983/yr	58/100	18.1 yr
15	Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	MI	$33,089	$13,138/yr	56/100	19.3 yr
16	Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	University of Florida	FL	$32,896	$6,541/yr	68/100	10.9 yr
17	Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Michigan State University	MI	$32,826	$20,751/yr	42/100	32.4 yr
18	Fine and Studio Arts	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	MI	$32,738	$13,138/yr	55/100	21.8 yr
19	Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	The University of Texas at Austin	TX	$32,606	$19,857/yr	45/100	33.3 yr
20	Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Michigan State University	MI	$32,437	$20,751/yr	42/100	37.5 yr
21	Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	University of Wisconsin-Madison	WI	$31,856	$16,928/yr	51/100	40.5 yr
22	Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	Ohio State University-Main Campus	OH	$31,706	$17,339/yr	49/100	44.9 yr
23	English Language and Literature, General	University of California-Berkeley	CA	$31,616	$13,481/yr	55/100	36.3 yr
24	Anthropology	University of Wisconsin-Madison	WI	$31,599	$16,928/yr	51/100	47 yr
25	English Language and Literature, General	Harvard University	MA	$31,485	$19,066/yr	46/100	54.8 yr

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

99/100

Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA

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

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies

86/100

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

83/100

Stanford University · Stanford, CA

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

Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services

53/100

Brandeis University · Waltham, MA

$43,816 median salary$33,885/yr net cost10.5 yr break-even+46% vs. HS diploma

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

81/100

University of Chicago · Chicago, IL

$43,324 median salary$14,860/yr net cost4.9 yr break-even+44% vs. HS diploma

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

75/100Public

The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX

$41,004 median salary$19,857/yr net cost7.9 yr break-even+37% vs. HS diploma

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

78/100Public

University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA

$39,997 median salary$13,481/yr net cost5.9 yr break-even+33% vs. HS diploma

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

60/100Public

The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX

$36,231 median salary$19,857/yr net cost13.9 yr break-even+21% vs. HS diploma

English Language and Literature, General

54/100Public

Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI

$35,931 median salary$20,751/yr net cost15.4 yr break-even+20% vs. HS diploma

English Language and Literature, General

67/100

University of Chicago · Chicago, IL

$35,291 median salary$14,860/yr net cost12.3 yr break-even+18% vs. HS diploma

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies

29/100

Brandeis University · Waltham, MA

$34,857 median salary$33,885/yr net cost29.8 yr break-even+16% vs. HS diploma

Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

56/100Public

University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI

$33,908 median salary$16,928/yr net cost19.2 yr break-even+13% vs. HS diploma

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

58/100Public

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill, NC

$33,170 median salary$12,983/yr net cost18 yr break-even+11% vs. HS diploma

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

58/100Public

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill, NC

$33,146 median salary$12,983/yr net cost18.1 yr break-even+10% vs. HS diploma

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

56/100Public

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI

$33,089 median salary$13,138/yr net cost19.3 yr break-even+10% vs. HS diploma

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

68/100Public

University of Florida · Gainesville, FL

$32,896 median salary$6,541/yr net cost10.9 yr break-even+10% vs. HS diploma

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

42/100Public

Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI

$32,826 median salary$20,751/yr net cost32.4 yr break-even+9% vs. HS diploma

Fine and Studio Arts

55/100Public

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI

$32,738 median salary$13,138/yr net cost21.8 yr break-even+9% vs. HS diploma

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies

45/100Public

The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX

$32,606 median salary$19,857/yr net cost33.3 yr break-even+9% vs. HS diploma

Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

42/100Public

Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI

$32,437 median salary$20,751/yr net cost37.5 yr break-even+8% vs. HS diploma

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

51/100Public

University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI

$31,856 median salary$16,928/yr net cost40.5 yr break-even+6% vs. HS diploma

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

49/100Public

Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH

$31,706 median salary$17,339/yr net cost44.9 yr break-even+6% vs. HS diploma

English Language and Literature, General

55/100Public

University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA

$31,616 median salary$13,481/yr net cost36.3 yr break-even+5% vs. HS diploma

Anthropology

51/100Public

University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI

$31,599 median salary$16,928/yr net cost47 yr break-even+5% vs. HS diploma

English Language and Literature, General

46/100

Harvard University · Cambridge, MA

$31,485 median salary$19,066/yr net cost54.8 yr break-even+5% vs. HS diploma

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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.