Liberal Arts Colleges in Texas: All 20+ Schools
Do you want to join the hundreds of thousands of college students majoring in the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences?
According to the National Center of Education Statistics, about 1 million associate degrees were awarded in 2020-2021. Liberal arts majors represented 39% of that figure. Social science and history — other core humanities subjects — made up 8%, or 268,000, of the 2.1 million bachelor’s degrees awarded in that same year.
Take a campus tour with us. We’ll guide you through the costs, acceptance rates, and other key factors of the best liberal arts colleges in Texas. If a liberal arts college isn’t right for you, check out the full list of the best colleges in Texas to find a better fit.
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Popular Liberal Arts Colleges in Texas
We chose to highlight the following liberal arts colleges in Texas based on factors like academic rigor, number of applicants, and overall prestige and reputation.
1. Trinity University
- Avg. Annual Net Price: $30,038
- Acceptance Rate: 31%
- Total Student Enrollment: 2,692
A private Christian college based in San Antonio, Trinity opened in 1869. Today, the college offers four campuses in three Texas cities with programs that focus on a multidisciplinary approach to liberal arts studies. You can double major in neuroscience and music or pick from more than 100 majors and minors.
This selective liberal arts college received about 11,397 applications for the class of 2027 and accepted 679 students — roughly 28%.
2. University of Dallas
- Avg. Annual Net Price: $27,250
- Acceptance Rate: 59%
- Total Student Enrollment: 2,328
A Catholic university located in Irving, UD educates students of all religions. Undergraduates come to this small liberal arts college from 41 states and 19 countries. Despite the broad global representation, UD’s classes remain small, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 10-to-1 and an average class size of 19 students.
UD offers 27 undergraduate degrees and 20 graduate programs. The core of every degree includes liberal arts courses such as arts, history, literature, math, science, and theology.
3. Southwestern University
- Avg. Annual Net Price: $31,014
- Acceptance Rate: 45%
- Total Student Enrollment: 1,483
Founded in 1840 by Methodist missionaries, SU’s 701-acre campus offers an enriching liberal arts education in Georgetown, Texas. SU offers more than 40 undergraduate degrees in a broad range of liberal arts subjects. According to SU, 98% of its graduates by July 2023 found careers or got into graduate school within 10 months of graduation.
With a competitive admission process, SU 45% of applicants in fall 2022. The college received 5,557 applicants for the class of 2026.
4. Austin College
- Avg. Annual Net Price: $24,739
- Acceptance Rate: 54%
- Total Student Enrollment: 1,182
A private liberal arts college, AC opened in Huntsville, Texas, in 1849, where its original building still stands. Now located in Sherman, AC offers small classes of about 15 students and more than 40 liberal arts-focused undergraduate and graduate majors. Students can also design their own major by incorporating research opportunities and internships.
Every student attends JanTerm to complete four weeks dedicated to research studies, career development, and internships. Roughly 88% of students at AC land internships. AC fosters leadership opportunities through 70 student clubs and organizations.
List of All Liberal Arts Colleges in Texas
We’ve created a complete list of all four-year nonprofit liberal arts colleges in Texas. You can use the table below to compare data on student population, average net cost, acceptance rate, and number of applicants.
The following school data comes from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). All data is from 2022. Schools with fewer than 500 undergraduates were not included in this list.
| School | Total Student Enrollment | Avg. Annual Net Price | Acceptance Rate | Number of Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin College | 1,182 | $24,739 | 54% | 5,192 |
| Concordia University Texas | 1,863 | $24,761 | 86% | 1,886 |
| Dallas Baptist University | 4,348 | $27,607 | 91% | 8,519 |
| East Texas Baptist University | 1,771 | $24,169 | 68% | 1,449 |
| Hardin-Simmons University | 1,765 | $22,636 | 88% | 2,314 |
| Houston Baptist University | 4,257 | $19,515 | 84% | 10,258 |
| Howard Payne University | 838 | $24,117 | 62% | 1,233 |
| Huston-Tillotson University | 1,025 | $21,069 | 52% | 1,885 |
| Jarvis Christian University | 729 | $7,365 | 100% | N/A |
| McMurry University | 1,237 | $18,757 | 57% | 2,345 |
| Midwestern State University | 5,784 | $11,361 | 92% | 5,507 |
| Paul Quinn College | 938 | $12,409 | 57% | 2,048 |
| Schreiner University | 1,193 | $24,278 | 85% | 2,202 |
| Southwestern Assemblies of God University | 1,794 | $19,217 | 86% | 627 |
| Southwestern University | 1,483 | $31,014 | 45% | 5,557 |
| St. Edward’s University | 3,470 | $27,193 | 85% | 6,015 |
| St. Mary’s University | 3,253 | $21,379 | 86% | 5,369 |
| Texas Lutheran University | 1,369 | $21,442 | 92% | 1,835 |
| Texas Wesleyan University | 2,578 | $15,652 | 61% | 4,622 |
| Trinity University | 2,692 | $30,038 | 31% | 11,463 |
| University of Dallas | 2,328 | $27,250 | 59% | 4,307 |
| University of the Incarnate Word | 7,305 | $20,832 | 94% | 9,625 |
| Wayland Baptist University | 2,978 | $22,663 | 70% | 1,311 |
| Wiley College | 698 | $11,246 | 100% | N/A |
Why Study at a Liberal Arts College in Texas?
- Despite the anti-diversity law in higher education, Texas ranks as one of the most ethnically and racially diverse states in the nation.
- The Lone Star State offers a cost-of-living lower than many other states.
- With no state income tax, Texas offers a cheaper place to study.
- The warm weather means you can expect an average annual temperature of 65.8 degrees.
- Many liberal arts colleges offer smaller classes that provide direct attention from instructors.
Frequently Asked Questions About Liberal Arts Colleges in Texas
How many liberal arts colleges are in Texas?
We have identified about 24 liberal arts colleges in Texas. Our list includes public and private liberal arts colleges with large, medium-sized, and small enrollments.
What is the No. 1 liberal arts college in Texas?
Trinity College consistently ranks as the top liberal arts college in Texas, with a top-ranked engineering program and school philosophy that emphasizes service work. The liberal arts college also offers a wide range of programs, including 57 majors, 53 minors, and six graduate programs.
What is the hardest liberal arts college to get into in Texas?
Trinity University and Southwestern University have some of the most selective admission processes among liberal arts colleges in Texas. These two colleges accepted only 31% and 45% of applicants in 2022. Another competitive school: Huston-Tillotson University — which had a total enrollment of 1,025 in 2022 — only accepted 52% of applicants.
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