100 Best colleges for Liberal Arts & Social Sciences in the United States

Updated:

EduRank

Below is a list of best universities in the United States ranked based on their research performance in Liberal Arts & Social Sciences. A graph of 295M citations received by 10.5M academic papers made by 1,728 universities in the United States 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
3%
Average SAT
1535
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$19,491

2. Stanford University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#2 in the World
Acceptance Rate
4%
Average SAT
1540
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$18,279

3. University of California - Berkeley

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#3 in the World
Acceptance Rate
11%
Receiving Aid
60%
Average Aid
$21,669
Enrollment
45,307

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#4 in the World
Acceptance Rate
18%
Average SAT
1440
Average ACT
33
Receiving Aid
74%

5. University of Washington - Seattle

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#8 in the World
Acceptance Rate
48%
Receiving Aid
58%
Average Aid
$14,731
Enrollment
52,319

6. Columbia University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#9 in the World
Acceptance Rate
4%
Average SAT
1535
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$22,058

7. Cornell University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#10 in the World
Acceptance Rate
7%
Average SAT
1520
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$26,060

8. University of California - Los Angeles

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#13 in the World
Acceptance Rate
9%
Receiving Aid
57%
Average Aid
$21,766
Enrollment
46,430

9. Johns Hopkins University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#14 in the World
Acceptance Rate
7%
Average SAT
1545
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$24,034

10. Yale University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#15 in the World
Acceptance Rate
5%
Average SAT
1540
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$18,647

11. University of Pennsylvania

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#16 in the World
Acceptance Rate
7%
Average SAT
1535
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$26,123

12. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#17 in the World
Acceptance Rate
4%
Average SAT
1555
Average ACT
36
Net Price
$20,232

13. University of Wisconsin - Madison

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#18 in the World
Acceptance Rate
49%
Average SAT
1425
Average ACT
29
Receiving Aid
58%

14. University of Chicago

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#19 in the World
Acceptance Rate
5%
Average SAT
1540
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$36,991

15. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#21 in the World
Acceptance Rate
45%
Average SAT
1415
Average ACT
32
Receiving Aid
64%

16. Pennsylvania State University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#22 in the World
Acceptance Rate
55%
Average SAT
1300
Average ACT
29
Receiving Aid
68%

17. New York University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#23 in the World
Acceptance Rate
12%
Average SAT
1520
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$29,499

18. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#24 in the World
Acceptance Rate
75%
Average SAT
1395
Average ACT
30
Receiving Aid
82%

19. Ohio State University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#25 in the World
Acceptance Rate
53%
Average SAT
1395
Average ACT
31
Receiving Aid
83%

20. University of Texas at Austin

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#26 in the World
Acceptance Rate
31%
Average SAT
1365
Average ACT
30
Receiving Aid
89%

21. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#27 in the World
Acceptance Rate
17%
Average SAT
1440
Average ACT
32
Receiving Aid
59%

22. University of Southern California

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#29 in the World
Acceptance Rate
12%
Average SAT
1500
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$36,808

23. University of California-San Diego

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#30 in the World
Acceptance Rate
24%
Receiving Aid
61%
Average Aid
$20,782
Enrollment
42,006

24. Princeton University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#33 in the World
Acceptance Rate
6%
Average SAT
1535
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$18,698

25. University of Pittsburgh

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#36 in the World
Acceptance Rate
49%
Average SAT
1375
Average ACT
31
Receiving Aid
87%

26. University of Maryland - College Park

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#37 in the World
Acceptance Rate
45%
Average SAT
1440
Average ACT
32
Receiving Aid
63%

27. Carnegie Mellon University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#39 in the World
Acceptance Rate
11%
Average SAT
1530
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$33,499

28. Arizona State University - Tempe

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#41 in the World
Acceptance Rate
90%
Receiving Aid
93%
Average Aid
$12,381
Enrollment
80,065

29. University of Florida

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#42 in the World
Acceptance Rate
23%
Average SAT
1395
Average ACT
31
Receiving Aid
94%

30. University of California - San Francisco

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#43 in the World
Acceptance Rate
13%
Enrollment
3,140
Male:Female
35:65
Founded
1864

31. Michigan State University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#45 in the World
Acceptance Rate
88%
Average SAT
1260
Average ACT
28
Receiving Aid
94%

32. University of Arizona

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#46 in the World
Acceptance Rate
87%
Average SAT
1255
Average ACT
25
Receiving Aid
98%

33. Duke University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#47 in the World
Acceptance Rate
6%
Average SAT
1530
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$23,694

34. University of California - Davis

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#48 in the World
Acceptance Rate
37%
Receiving Aid
63%
Average Aid
$20,548
Enrollment
39,679

35. Rutgers University - New Brunswick

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#49 in the World
Acceptance Rate
66%
Average SAT
1375
Average ACT
31
Receiving Aid
70%

36. Boston University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#53 in the World
Acceptance Rate
14%
Average SAT
1425
Average ACT
33
Net Price
$27,829

37. Northwestern University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#60 in the World
Acceptance Rate
7%
Average SAT
1530
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$22,095

38. University of Virginia

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#65 in the World
Acceptance Rate
19%
Average SAT
1470
Average ACT
33
Receiving Aid
54%

39. Washington University in St Louis

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#68 in the World
Acceptance Rate
12%
Average SAT
1535
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$23,432

40. Texas A&M University - College Station

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#69 in the World
Acceptance Rate
63%
Average SAT
1270
Average ACT
28
Receiving Aid
74%

41. Emory University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#75 in the World
Acceptance Rate
11%
Average SAT
1490
Average ACT
33
Net Price
$26,680

42. University of California - Irvine

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#79 in the World
Acceptance Rate
21%
Receiving Aid
80%
Average Aid
$17,411
Enrollment
35,937

43. University of Iowa

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#80 in the World
Acceptance Rate
86%
Average SAT
1235
Average ACT
25
Receiving Aid
91%

44. University of Utah

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#91 in the World
Acceptance Rate
89%
Average SAT
1290
Average ACT
26
Receiving Aid
99%

45. Vanderbilt University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#94 in the World
Acceptance Rate
7%
Average SAT
1530
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$25,606

46. University of Illinois at Chicago

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#95 in the World
Acceptance Rate
79%
Average SAT
1225
Average ACT
27
Receiving Aid
81%

47. University of California - Santa Barbara

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#100 in the World
Acceptance Rate
26%
Receiving Aid
59%
Average Aid
$20,389
Enrollment
26,420

48. Georgia Institute of Technology

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#108 in the World
Acceptance Rate
17%
Average SAT
1460
Average ACT
33
Receiving Aid
73%

49. Iowa State University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#109 in the World
Acceptance Rate
90%
Average SAT
1220
Average ACT
25
Receiving Aid
89%

50. University of Rochester

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#116 in the World
Acceptance Rate
39%
Average SAT
1465
Average ACT
33
Net Price
$39,775

51. University of Massachusetts - Amherst

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#119 in the World
Acceptance Rate
64%
Average SAT
1370
Average ACT
31
Receiving Aid
91%

52. Georgetown University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#121 in the World
Acceptance Rate
12%
Average SAT
1485
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$35,566

53. University of Colorado Boulder

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#122 in the World
Acceptance Rate
81%
Average SAT
1275
Average ACT
29
Receiving Aid
68%

54. Purdue University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#124 in the World
Acceptance Rate
53%
Average SAT
1335
Average ACT
31
Receiving Aid
60%

55. University of Georgia

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#133 in the World
Acceptance Rate
43%
Average SAT
1320
Average ACT
30
Receiving Aid
94%

56. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#137 in the World
Acceptance Rate
57%
Average SAT
1335
Average ACT
30
Receiving Aid
71%

57. University of Kentucky

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#138 in the World
Acceptance Rate
95%
Average SAT
1180
Average ACT
25
Receiving Aid
96%

58. University of Miami

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#139 in the World
Acceptance Rate
19%
Average SAT
1395
Average ACT
32
Net Price
$36,467

59. North Carolina State University at Raleigh

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#146 in the World
Acceptance Rate
47%
Average SAT
1370
Average ACT
31
Receiving Aid
80%

60. Brown University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#147 in the World
Acceptance Rate
5%
Average SAT
1535
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$26,723

61. University of Missouri - Columbia

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#148 in the World
Acceptance Rate
79%
Average SAT
1240
Average ACT
27
Receiving Aid
91%

62. Case Western Reserve University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#150 in the World
Acceptance Rate
27%
Average SAT
1475
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$38,279

63. Florida State University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#154 in the World
Acceptance Rate
25%
Average SAT
1290
Average ACT
29
Receiving Aid
93%

64. George Washington University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#156 in the World
Acceptance Rate
49%
Average SAT
1410
Average ACT
33
Net Price
$42,723

65. University at Buffalo

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#158 in the World
Acceptance Rate
68%
Average SAT
1285
Average ACT
29
Receiving Aid
86%

66. University of South Carolina - Columbia

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#159 in the World
Acceptance Rate
64%
Average SAT
1280
Average ACT
30
Receiving Aid
98%

67. Providence College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#161 in the World
Acceptance Rate
53%
Average SAT
1340
Average ACT
30
Net Price
$43,970

68. University of South Florida

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#164 in the World
Acceptance Rate
44%
Average SAT
1235
Average ACT
27
Receiving Aid
90%

69. University of Connecticut

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#167 in the World
Acceptance Rate
55%
Average SAT
1330
Average ACT
31
Receiving Aid
89%

70. University of Notre Dame

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#169 in the World
Acceptance Rate
13%
Average SAT
1500
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$28,474

71. Indiana University - Bloomington

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#176 in the World
Acceptance Rate
82%
Average SAT
1290
Average ACT
30
Receiving Aid
83%

72. California Institute of Technology

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#181 in the World
Acceptance Rate
3%
Net Price
$20,755
Receiving Aid
71%
Average Aid
$59,192

73. University of Tennessee - Knoxville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#182 in the World
Acceptance Rate
68%
Average SAT
1250
Average ACT
28
Receiving Aid
91%

74. University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#184 in the World
Acceptance Rate
75%
Average SAT
1145
Average ACT
24
Receiving Aid
94%

75. University of Kansas

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#189 in the World
Acceptance Rate
88%
Average SAT
1215
Average ACT
25
Receiving Aid
91%

76. Tulane University of Louisiana

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#191 in the World
Acceptance Rate
11%
Average SAT
1440
Average ACT
32
Net Price
$50,263

77. Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#193 in the World
Acceptance Rate
64%
Net Price
$11,830
Receiving Aid
100%
Average Aid
$2,182

78. University of Cincinnati

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#196 in the World
Acceptance Rate
86%
Average SAT
1260
Average ACT
27
Receiving Aid
84%

79. George Mason University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#198 in the World
Acceptance Rate
90%
Average SAT
1245
Average ACT
28
Receiving Aid
80%

80. Tufts University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#200 in the World
Acceptance Rate
10%
Average SAT
1500
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$30,479

81. Stony Brook University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#202 in the World
Acceptance Rate
49%
Average SAT
1410
Average ACT
31
Receiving Aid
88%

82. University of Alabama at Birmingham

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#208 in the World
Acceptance Rate
87%
Average SAT
1305
Average ACT
27
Receiving Aid
96%

83. Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#211 in the World
Acceptance Rate
76%
Average SAT
1230
Average ACT
26
Receiving Aid
98%

84. Temple University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#212 in the World
Acceptance Rate
80%
Receiving Aid
93%
Average Aid
$11,575
Enrollment
33,196

85. Brigham Young University - Provo

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#218 in the World
Acceptance Rate
67%
Average SAT
1374
Average ACT
30
Net Price
$13,521

86. Wayne State University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#220 in the World
Acceptance Rate
75%
Average SAT
1150
Average ACT
25
Receiving Aid
98%

87. Colorado State University - Fort Collins

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#223 in the World
Acceptance Rate
91%
Average SAT
1185
Average ACT
26
Receiving Aid
84%

88. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#229 in the World
Acceptance Rate
79%
Average SAT
1225
Average ACT
25
Receiving Aid
95%

89. Syracuse University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#231 in the World
Acceptance Rate
52%
Average SAT
1345
Average ACT
30
Net Price
$43,651

90. Dartmouth College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#235 in the World
Acceptance Rate
6%
Average SAT
1540
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$19,208

91. Georgia State University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#238 in the World
Acceptance Rate
67%
Average SAT
1135
Average ACT
23
Receiving Aid
95%

92. Baylor College of Medicine

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#239 in the World
Acceptance Rate
9%
Enrollment
1,610
Male:Female
40:60
Founded
1900

93. Boston College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#241 in the World
Acceptance Rate
17%
Average SAT
1488
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$30,559

94. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#245 in the World
Acceptance Rate
83%
Average SAT
1150
Average ACT
24
Receiving Aid
91%

95. University of New Mexico

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#249 in the World
Acceptance Rate
96%
Average ACT
22
Receiving Aid
97%
Average Aid
$9,280

96. Oregon State University

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#251 in the World
Acceptance Rate
83%
Receiving Aid
91%
Average Aid
$9,260
Enrollment
34,292

97. University of Delaware

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#252 in the World
Acceptance Rate
74%
Average SAT
1275
Average ACT
29
Receiving Aid
93%

98. University of California - Santa Cruz

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#257 in the World
Acceptance Rate
47%
Receiving Aid
74%
Average Aid
$21,202
Enrollment
19,478

99. University of Houston

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#266 in the World
Acceptance Rate
66%
Average SAT
1245
Average ACT
26
Receiving Aid
83%

100. University of Oregon

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#267 in the World
Acceptance Rate
86%
Average SAT
1255
Average ACT
27
Receiving Aid
90%

The best cities to study Liberal Arts & Social Sciences in the United States based on the number of universities and their ranks are Cambridge, Stanford, Berkeley, and Ann Arbor.