Do employers value liberal arts degrees?

Yes — liberal arts degrees can be valuable to employers. The skills students learn in a liberal arts education are transferrable across a wide range of fields, including education, social work, and business. Earning a liberal arts bachelor’s degree demonstrates that you can excel in many sectors and promote your organization’s success.

How useful is a liberal arts degree?

A liberal arts degree imparts skills that graduates use daily. From resource management to project planning and teamwork, liberal arts degrees indirectly provide soft skills that keep an organization running smoothly.

Is a liberal arts degree hard?

Liberal arts degree programs don't often require students to take math, science, or other technical classes, which many students consider challenging. However, the characteristics necessary to complete a bachelor’s in liberal arts aren’t always innate to every student. Strengthening soft skills like research and conflict resolution are often just as intellectually stimulating as technical classes.

Is there money in liberal arts?

Yes. According to the BLS, people with liberal arts degrees earned a median salary of $55,000 in 2022, while those without a bachelor’s degree made a median salary of $48,060 in 2023. This data indicates that a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts can qualify you for higher-paying jobs.

Explore bachelor's in liberal arts degrees

Many people get a college degree to become qualified for a specific career. But those who want to gain applicable skills for a variety of jobs may find that earning a bachelor's in liberal arts is the best route. Many liberal arts bachelor's graduates get jobs as economists, technical writers, or high school teachers. Read this guide to discover the benefits of getting a liberal arts education.

Explore liberal arts degrees

Why pursue a bachelor's in liberal arts?

Gain applicable skills

A bachelor's in liberal arts program can help students gain useful workplace skills like critical thinking and problem-solving.

Experience new learning opportunities

Liberal arts bachelor's programs allow students to explore various schools of philosophical and practical thought.

Create flexible qualifications

Students in a liberal arts bachelor's program gain skills that qualify them for jobs across industries, rather than for a single vocation.

Find the right bachelor's in liberal arts degrees for you

What can you do with a bachelor's in liberal arts?

Bachelor's in liberal arts programs aim to promote free thinking among students. While many focus on one specific industry, liberal arts programs teach useful skills that transfer across fields like education, public relations and advertising, and finance.

Below are some potential career paths you can pursue after earning this degree, with 2023 salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS):

Human resources specialist

Human resources specialists are company representatives responsible for recruiting and hiring new employees. They may also coordinate employee training, compensation, and benefits.

2023 Median pay: $67,650

News reporter

News reporters are journalists who collect, analyze, and communicate information to a public audience. They may work for television stations, print newspapers, or online publications.

2023 Median pay: $57,500

Social worker

Social workers are often government employees who work to ensure people have access to social services. They may work in child protective services, healthcare, or welfare agencies.

2023 Median pay: $58,380

What can you learn in a bachelor's in liberal arts degree program?

In a bachelor's in liberal arts program, students get a general education that teaches them to think critically. With majors like communications, history, and design, you can learn:

Problem-solving
Critical thinking
Conflict resolution
Oral and written communication
Time management
Teamwork
Creativity
Foreign language

Students typically earn around 120 credit hours to graduate with a bachelor's in liberal arts. For most people, this takes between three and five years.

Online format

Getting an online bachelor's in liberal arts can prepare you for the workplace through a nontraditional classroom setting. Many online liberal arts programs require some previous college or work experience, while others allow you to earn your bachelor's degree entirely online. Students need a computer and reliable internet to complete an online bachelor's in liberal arts program.

Admissions requirements for a bachelor's in liberal arts

For admission into a bachelor's in liberal arts program, students must submit an application package. Many schools offer an online application or use the Common Application, which allows students to apply to many schools at once.

Students generally must submit the following materials in their application package:

ACT or SAT scores
Résumé
Personal essay or statement of purpose
High school and college transcripts
Application fees
Letters of recommendation