Best Universities for Liberal Arts & Social Sciences in North America

Below is a list of best universities in North America ranked based on their research performance in Liberal Arts & Social Sciences. A graph of 770M citations received by 24.2M academic papers made by 1,780 universities in North America was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Harvard University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1 in the World
Acceptance Rate
4%
Average SAT
1530
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$13,910

2. Stanford University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#2 in the World
Acceptance Rate
4%
Average SAT
1520
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$14,402

3. University of California - Berkeley

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#3 in the World
Acceptance Rate
14%
Receiving Aid
61%
Average Aid
$21,406
Enrollment
45,036

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#4 in the World
Acceptance Rate
20%
Receiving Aid
70%
Average Aid
$16,326
Enrollment
50,278

5. University of Toronto

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1 in Canada
#5 in the World
Acceptance Rate
43%
Enrollment
95,055
Founded
1827

6. University of Washington - Seattle

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#7 in the World
Acceptance Rate
53%
Receiving Aid
54%
Average Aid
$15,895
Enrollment
52,434

7. Columbia University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#8 in the World
Acceptance Rate
4%
Average SAT
1520
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$12,411

8. University of Pennsylvania

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#10 in the World
Acceptance Rate
6%
Average SAT
1525
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$14,578

9. Yale University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#11 in the World
Acceptance Rate
5%
Average SAT
1530
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$20,605

10. University of California - Los Angeles

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#12 in the World
Acceptance Rate
11%
Receiving Aid
56%
Average Aid
$17,592
Enrollment
46,116

11. University of Wisconsin - Madison

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#14 in the World
Acceptance Rate
60%
Average SAT
1410
Average ACT
29
Receiving Aid
64%

12. University of Chicago

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#15 in the World
Acceptance Rate
6%
Average SAT
1545
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$33,727

13. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#16 in the World
Acceptance Rate
4%
Net Price
$30,958
Receiving Aid
100%
Average Aid
$32,562

14. Cornell University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#17 in the World
Acceptance Rate
9%
Average SAT
1505
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$24,262

15. University of British Columbia

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#2 in Canada
#18 in the World
Acceptance Rate
53%
Enrollment
59,659
Founded
1908

16. Pennsylvania State University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#19 in the World
Acceptance Rate
55%
Receiving Aid
73%
Average Aid
$8,719
Enrollment
40,363

17. Ohio State University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#20 in the World
Acceptance Rate
57%
Average SAT
1345
Average ACT
29
Receiving Aid
83%

18. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#21 in the World
Acceptance Rate
60%
Average SAT
1415
Average ACT
32
Receiving Aid
85%

19. New York University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#23 in the World
Acceptance Rate
13%
Average SAT
1510
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$50,991

20. University of Texas at Austin

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#24 in the World
Acceptance Rate
29%
Average SAT
1365
Average ACT
30
Receiving Aid
71%

21. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#25 in the World
Acceptance Rate
73%
Average SAT
1400
Average ACT
30
Receiving Aid
82%

22. University of Southern California

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#26 in the World
Acceptance Rate
13%
Average SAT
1475
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$26,021

23. Boston University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#27 in the World
Acceptance Rate
19%
Average SAT
1440
Average ACT
33
Net Price
$25,852

24. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#28 in the World
Acceptance Rate
20%
Average SAT
1260
Average ACT
25
Receiving Aid
60%

25. Johns Hopkins University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#29 in the World
Acceptance Rate
8%
Net Price
$20,680
Receiving Aid
71%
Average Aid
$45,373

26. Princeton University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#31 in the World
Acceptance Rate
4%
Average SAT
1515
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$20,908

27. University of California-San Diego

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#34 in the World
Acceptance Rate
34%
Receiving Aid
54%
Average Aid
$18,083
Enrollment
41,885

28. University of Pittsburgh

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#35 in the World
Acceptance Rate
67%
Average SAT
1360
Average ACT
31
Receiving Aid
78%

29. Carnegie Mellon University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#37 in the World
Acceptance Rate
14%
Average SAT
1520
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$37,450

30. McGill University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#3 in Canada
#38 in the World
Acceptance Rate
47%
Enrollment
40,036
Founded
1821

31. University of Maryland - College Park

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#39 in the World
Acceptance Rate
52%
Average SAT
1420
Average ACT
32
Receiving Aid
68%

32. Arizona State University - Tempe

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#40 in the World
Acceptance Rate
88%
Receiving Aid
92%
Average Aid
$12,201
Enrollment
77,881

33. Michigan State University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#41 in the World
Acceptance Rate
83%
Average SAT
1210
Average ACT
26
Receiving Aid
72%

34. University of Arizona

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#43 in the World
Acceptance Rate
87%
Average SAT
1245
Average ACT
25
Receiving Aid
95%

35. University of Florida

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#44 in the World
Acceptance Rate
30%
Average SAT
1385
Average ACT
31
Receiving Aid
94%

36. University of California - Davis

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#45 in the World
Acceptance Rate
49%
Receiving Aid
65%
Average Aid
$17,628
Enrollment
40,050

37. Duke University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#46 in the World
Acceptance Rate
6%
Average SAT
1513
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$27,297

38. Rutgers University - New Brunswick

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#47 in the World
Acceptance Rate
68%
Average SAT
1355
Average ACT
30
Receiving Aid
69%

39. University of California - San Francisco

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#49 in the World
Acceptance Rate
18%
Enrollment
3,165
Male:Female
35:65
Founded
1864

40. University of Alberta

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#4 in Canada
#50 in the World
Acceptance Rate
58%
Founded
1908

41. University of Montreal

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#5 in Canada
#55 in the World
Acceptance Rate
57%
Enrollment
45,360
Founded
1878

42. University of Virginia

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#64 in the World
Acceptance Rate
21%
Average SAT
1440
Average ACT
34
Receiving Aid
63%

43. Washington University in St Louis

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#66 in the World
Acceptance Rate
13%
Average SAT
1530
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$28,298

44. Texas A&M University - College Station

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#70 in the World
Acceptance Rate
64%
Average SAT
1260
Average ACT
28
Receiving Aid
78%

45. Northwestern University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#72 in the World
Acceptance Rate
7%
Average SAT
1520
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$29,999

46. Emory University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#73 in the World
Acceptance Rate
13%
Average SAT
1480
Average ACT
33
Net Price
$28,367

47. University of Ottawa

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#6 in Canada
#74 in the World
Enrollment
42,027
Founded
1848

48. University of Iowa

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#77 in the World
Acceptance Rate
86%
Average SAT
1240
Average ACT
26
Receiving Aid
87%

49. University of California - Irvine

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#79 in the World
Acceptance Rate
29%
Receiving Aid
79%
Average Aid
$16,868
Enrollment
36,505

50. Indiana University - Bloomington

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#80 in the World
Acceptance Rate
85%
Average SAT
1270
Average ACT
29
Receiving Aid
79%

51. University of Calgary

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#7 in Canada
#86 in the World
Acceptance Rate
10%
Enrollment
33,000
Founded
1966

52. McMaster University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#8 in Canada
#88 in the World
Acceptance Rate
59%
Enrollment
30,117
Founded
1887

53. Vanderbilt University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#91 in the World
Acceptance Rate
7%
Average SAT
1525
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$27,553

54. University of Utah

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#95 in the World
Acceptance Rate
95%
Average SAT
1285
Average ACT
26
Receiving Aid
89%

55. Western University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#9 in Canada
#96 in the World
Acceptance Rate
58%
Enrollment
27,300
Founded
1878

56. University of California - Santa Barbara

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#98 in the World
Acceptance Rate
29%
Receiving Aid
58%
Average Aid
$18,107
Enrollment
26,124

57. Georgia Institute of Technology

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#102 in the World
Acceptance Rate
16%
Average SAT
1405
Average ACT
32
Receiving Aid
72%

58. Iowa State University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#103 in the World
Acceptance Rate
91%
Average SAT
1207
Average ACT
25
Receiving Aid
93%

59. University of Rochester

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#108 in the World
Acceptance Rate
41%
Average SAT
1445
Average ACT
33
Net Price
$40,125

60. University of Colorado Boulder

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#110 in the World
Acceptance Rate
80%
Average SAT
1280
Average ACT
28
Receiving Aid
65%

61. University of Illinois at Chicago

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#111 in the World
Acceptance Rate
79%
Average SAT
1195
Average ACT
27
Receiving Aid
81%

62. University of Waterloo

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#10 in Canada
#114 in the World
Acceptance Rate
53%
Enrollment
35,900
Founded
1957

63. Purdue University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#116 in the World
Acceptance Rate
69%
Average SAT
1310
Average ACT
30
Receiving Aid
73%

64. University of Massachusetts - Amherst

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#117 in the World
Acceptance Rate
66%
Average SAT
1355
Average ACT
31
Receiving Aid
88%

65. Laval University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#11 in Canada
#118 in the World
Enrollment
45,000
Founded
1852

66. York University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#12 in Canada
#120 in the World
Acceptance Rate
27%
Enrollment
53,000
Founded
1959

67. University of Kentucky

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#125 in the World
Acceptance Rate
94%
Average SAT
1207
Average ACT
26
Receiving Aid
94%

68. University of Missouri - Columbia

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#127 in the World
Acceptance Rate
77%
Average SAT
1240
Average ACT
27
Receiving Aid
91%

69. University of Connecticut

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#128 in the World
Acceptance Rate
56%
Average SAT
1330
Average ACT
30
Receiving Aid
82%

70. Queen's University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#13 in Canada
#130 in the World
Acceptance Rate
42%
Enrollment
30,386
Founded
1841

71. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#135 in the World
Acceptance Rate
56%
Average SAT
1310
Average ACT
29
Receiving Aid
72%

72. North Carolina State University at Raleigh

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#142 in the World
Acceptance Rate
47%
Average SAT
1355
Average ACT
30
Receiving Aid
74%

73. George Washington University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#145 in the World
Acceptance Rate
50%
Average SAT
1400
Average ACT
32
Net Price
$31,240

74. University of South Florida

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#146 in the World
Acceptance Rate
49%
Average SAT
1235
Average ACT
27
Receiving Aid
99%

75. University of South Carolina - Columbia

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#147 in the World
Acceptance Rate
62%
Average SAT
1255
Average ACT
29
Receiving Aid
95%

76. Case Western Reserve University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#148 in the World
Acceptance Rate
30%
Average SAT
1470
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$38,166

77. Florida State University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#150 in the World
Acceptance Rate
37%
Average SAT
1260
Average ACT
28
Receiving Aid
96%

78. University of Notre Dame

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#151 in the World
Acceptance Rate
15%
Average SAT
1480
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$30,513

79. Georgetown University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#153 in the World
Acceptance Rate
12%
Average SAT
1480
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$23,049

80. Brown University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#154 in the World
Acceptance Rate
6%
Average SAT
1515
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$25,028

81. Simon Fraser University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#14 in Canada
#164 in the World
Acceptance Rate
59%
Founded
1965

82. University of Miami

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#169 in the World
Acceptance Rate
28%
Average SAT
1380
Average ACT
32
Net Price
$34,492

83. University of Kansas

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#172 in the World
Acceptance Rate
92%
Average SAT
1210
Average ACT
25
Receiving Aid
86%

84. California Institute of Technology

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#174 in the World
Acceptance Rate
4%
Net Price
$30,162
Receiving Aid
67%
Average Aid
$47,556

85. Providence College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#175 in the World
Acceptance Rate
58%
Average SAT
1225
Average ACT
29
Net Price
$39,566

86. Tulane University of Louisiana

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#177 in the World
Acceptance Rate
10%
Average SAT
1435
Average ACT
32
Net Price
$45,048

87. Brigham Young University - Provo

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#178 in the World
Acceptance Rate
59%
Average SAT
1330
Average ACT
29
Net Price
$13,432

88. University of Cincinnati

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#179 in the World
Acceptance Rate
85%
Average SAT
1250
Average ACT
27
Receiving Aid
85%

89. George Mason University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#181 in the World
Acceptance Rate
91%
Average SAT
1245
Average ACT
28
Receiving Aid
79%

90. Stony Brook University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#183 in the World
Acceptance Rate
48%
Average SAT
1390
Average ACT
31
Receiving Aid
82%

91. Temple University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#188 in the World
Acceptance Rate
72%
Receiving Aid
91%
Average Aid
$11,292
Enrollment
35,626

92. Tufts University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#189 in the World
Acceptance Rate
11%
Average SAT
1495
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$31,630

93. University of Tennessee - Knoxville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#194 in the World
Acceptance Rate
75%
Average SAT
1255
Average ACT
28
Receiving Aid
92%

94. University of Alabama at Birmingham

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#196 in the World
Acceptance Rate
89%
Average SAT
1281
Average ACT
27
Receiving Aid
97%

95. Georgia State University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#197 in the World
Acceptance Rate
100%
Average SAT
1170
Average ACT
23
Receiving Aid
97%

96. University at Buffalo

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#198 in the World
Acceptance Rate
70%
Average SAT
1270
Average ACT
28
Receiving Aid
84%

97. Dalhousie University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#15 in Canada
#201 in the World
Acceptance Rate
78%
Enrollment
18,500
Founded
1818

98. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#202 in the World
Acceptance Rate
81%
Average SAT
1205
Average ACT
25
Receiving Aid
97%

99. Wayne State University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#203 in the World
Acceptance Rate
63%
Average SAT
1145
Average ACT
25
Receiving Aid
99%

100. Syracuse University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#210 in the World
Acceptance Rate
59%
Average SAT
1310
Average ACT
30
Net Price
$43,545