Which are the best liberal arts colleges in California? Liberal arts education is one of the fastest-growing academic programs. Rather than dealing with a specific field of knowledge, liberal arts deals with a general type of knowledge.
This means that it is not profession-intended and courses classified under this field range from literature to the English language. Nonetheless, California is one of the best cities for liberal arts students.
The prestige State in the U.S. is home to many educational establishments but about 20 of them can be classified under liberal arts colleges. These schools offer high-quality programs but knowing the best in the order of hierarchy can be difficult.
Even so, liberal arts colleges differ from normal universities in several ways. They are generally smaller in size/capacity and offer general knowledge kind-of-programs to enable the student to gain creative and imaginative intelligence.
Nevertheless, the US News National Liberal Arts Colleges list is the body responsible for ranking liberal arts schools in the United States and it is the metric used in ranking those in California too. Listed below are the
10 Best Liberal Arts Colleges In California.
- Pomona College
- Claremont McKenna College
- Harvey Mudd College
- Scripps College
- Soka University of America
- Pitzer College
- Occidental College
- Thomas Aquinas College
- Whittier College
- Westmont College
10. Westmont College
Location: Santa Barbara, California
Westmont College is kicking off the list of the best liberal arts colleges in California. The prestigious American educational establishment is home to a wide range of liberal arts specializations and is Christian-affiliated.
This non-denominational Christian liberal arts college is the best fit for scholars who hold their faith in Christianity though students from other religions are free to enrol. Even so, the prestigious academic institution offers 30 liberal arts majors who are taught by tutors with years of experience in the field.
Students can also afford study abroad programs in countries like Costa Rica and Israel.
9. Whittier College
Location: Whittier, California
Whittier College is among the top private liberal arts colleges in the United States. Located in the booming City of Whittier, in southern California, this American tertiary institution is blessed with sunny weather, for the most part.
This can be a great deal for students who want to get the best between the worlds of academics and leisure. Also renounced globally for its excellent liberal arts programs, the school offers a total of 30 majors in the field.
These programs are handled by well-to-do faculty members who help the students to navigate through their academic challenges and become professionals upon graduation.
Additionally, Whittier College has a diverse student population; with international scholars coming from up to 14 nations across the world.
8. Thomas Aquinas College
Location: Santa Paula, California
Located in the cultural suburb of Santa Paula, Thomas Aquinas College is one of the best liberal arts colleges in California. This popular American education service provider is entirely different from others on the list as it does not offer any form of minors or majors.
Instead, the liberal arts college dumps the minors and majors idea for the “Great Books” method. Under this approach, classical textbooks are used to educate scholars.
This method is used to equip students with first-hand information about certain subject areas. So, instead of being fed with secondary source summaries, scholars are walked through conversational lectures with points of reference being great philosophers like Aristotle and Plato.
Their original works are also used in the process of the lectures hence students stand to develop free-thinking minds upon graduation.
7. Occidental College
Location: Los Angeles, California
Coming in next on the list, Occidental College is one of the best liberal arts colleges in California. The American tertiary institution is located in Los Angeles – a busy metropolitan with lots of critical thinkers and Liberians.
This school has a beautiful campus stocked with state-of-the-art facilities, diligent tutors, and modern laboratories. It is also home to well-established faculty members who have garnered years of experience in the field.
Moreover, this prestigious American College has graduated a handful of alumni who have achieved success in liberal arts education. Being the school attended by Barack Obama, the first black president in the United States, it has also produced many Emmy Award and Noble winners across the globe.
6. Pitzer College
Location: Claremont, California
Located in the suburb of Claremont, Pitzer College is one of the best schools in the United States that potential liberal arts scholars should go to.
When it comes to social intelligence, Pitzer College has done very well. Students of this prestigious liberal arts college are actively involved in community endeavors through which they learn.
This prestigious school is also home to a diverse student population with some scholars from international communities present. The curriculum used is triple-packed – rigorous, comprehensive, and intensive.
Here, one will find liberal arts programs that are well-handled by qualified tutors with years of experience in the field. Aside from being among the premier liberal arts colleges in the U.S., the school also plays host to events such as the Kohoutek Music and Arts Festival.
This prominent celebration started in 1974 and is done as a form of get-together for all Pitzer and Claremont Consortium community members. Now, it has grown in popularity and its content programs have also increased as well.
5. Soka University of America
Location: Aliso Viejo, California
Located in Aliso Viejo, California, Soka University of America is one of California’s best liberal arts colleges. This young University sits among the top-30 ranking nationwide in the liberal arts colleges category by US News.
This prestigious liberal arts University is home to many programs that are aimed at improving the overall quality of the mind. The school also allows students to access its study abroad programs which is part of its goal to infuse accepted global values into its scholars.
To make things more interesting, potential liberal arts scholars are also mandated to complete the study abroad program before graduation. Some of the countries involved are Spain, Japan, and France.
4. Scripps College
Location: Claremont, California
Coming in next on the list, Scripps College is among the “top four” best liberal arts colleges in California. This American school is an all-female college hence is a perfect fit for women looking forward to making a name in the field of liberal arts.
In short, the school is the overall best all-women liberal arts college in California and is home to a diverse student population. This college has the IDEA Initiative program, which aims to tackle diversity problems. The program is done for one hour per week, and invitations are open to both students and the entire neighbourhood.
3. Harvey Mudd College
Location: Claremont, California
Harvey Mudd College is the third (3rd) best liberal arts college in California. The school is known for its ability to train sound and creative graduates who have contributed immensely to the success and growth of the field both in the United States and the world at large.
The school is also home to several state-of-the-art facilities and standard laboratories that improve students’ hands-on learning experience. It also has a reputable faculty with members having had a series of intensive experiences in the field of liberal arts education.
There are also lots of projects for students to participate in, which are kept in place to boost the intellectual content of the scholars. Additionally, the school has a top-notch social life with students getting involved in community work.
2. Claremont McKenna College
Location: Claremont, California
Claremont McKenna College is the second-best liberal arts education service provider missing the top spot. The school is home to the Center for Global Education, an initiative that aims at producing globally-renounced graduates.
Other programs include The Washington Program, co-op-style internships, and The Silicon Valley Program, which all aim to produce sound graduates for society.
1. Pomona College
Location: Claremont, California
Beating others in the list, the crown for the best liberal arts college in California goes to Pomona College. This prestige school is one of the world’s top three liberal colleges, courtesy of its premier education quality.
Even so, about 94% of scholars live on campus throughout their study period, which is a sign of the school’s commitment to making its premises a dream for its students.
The school is also home to a variety of clubs and associations for students to participate in – with the number rising to over 250. This provides an avenue for scholars to facilitate their creativity and innovative ideas.
Additionally, the American educational establishment is competitive – boasting an acceptance rate of a mere 7.4%, with median SAT scores being a high 1470.
Conclusion
Liberal arts education is one of the best academic pursuits. It gives scholars the much-needed creativity and free-thinking mind, courtesy of its wide scope.
This list of the best liberal arts colleges in California is designed to help students and families looking for a top-notch liberal arts education in “The Golden State.”
Nonetheless, this article deals with the best liberal arts colleges in California. Hope it helps.
