General studies programs on this site are scored out of 100 from figures each college reports to the federal government. The same model is applied to every program at a degree level. No college pays to be listed, and no score is adjusted by hand.
How Are Associate's and Bachelor's Programs in General Studies Scored?
Associate's and bachelor's programs in general studies are scored on three figures: the college's graduation rate, its resident tuition and required fees, and the number of general studies degrees the program awarded.
| Figure | Weight | What It Measures |
|---|---|---|
| College graduation rate | 45% | Share of first-time, full-time students at the college who finish within 150% of the normal time. It describes the college, not this one program. |
| In-state tuition and fees | 30% | Published in-state tuition plus required fees for a full-time year. Lower cost scores higher. |
| Degrees awarded, latest year | 25% | General studies degrees the program conferred in the latest reported year. The one figure here that belongs to the program itself. |
How Are Master's and Doctoral Programs Scored?
Master's and doctoral programs are scored on one figure, the degrees the program awarded in the latest reported year. It is the only figure on federal record that belongs to the graduate program itself. The graduation rate on record is the university's undergraduate rate, and the tuition on record is the undergraduate rate, so using either would describe undergraduates and misstate what a graduate student faces.
| Figure | Weight | What It Measures |
|---|---|---|
| Degrees awarded, latest year | 100% | Degrees the program conferred in the latest reported year. The one figure on record that belongs to the program itself. |
Because one figure decides it, a graduate ranking is an ordering by program size. A larger program is not a better one, but it is one with more faculty committed to the degree, more courses running each term, and more graduates whose experience can be asked about. Read the score as a measure of how established the program is.
How Does a Figure Become a Score?
A figure becomes a score by being turned into a percentile: the share of ranked programs at that level the program beats on that figure. Tuition is reversed, so the lowest tuition earns the highest percentile. The percentiles are then combined using the weights above.
Percentiles are measured against every ranked program at the level, online and campus together. A program on an online list carries the same score it has on the full list for its level.
Which General Studies Programs Are Ranked?
General studies programs are ranked when they awarded a minimum number of degrees in the latest reported year. Undergraduate programs must also report a graduation rate and tuition.
| Level | Federal Headings Included | Programs | Minimum Degrees | Ranked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associate's | General Studies (24.0102) | 588 | 10 | 429 |
| Bachelor's | General Studies (24.0102) | 291 | 10 | 164 |
| Master's | All four headings (24.01) | 139 | 5 | 73 |
| Doctorate | All four headings (24.01) | 18 | 3 | 10 |
State pages follow the same rule, with one exception. Where no program in a state meets the minimum at a level, the state's programs are still scored on the same three figures and against the same national programs, then ranked within the state only. They do not join the national list, and they do not change any other program's percentiles.
The undergraduate lists use the General Studies classification alone. The graduate lists use the whole liberal arts, general studies and humanities series, because at master's and doctoral level the same kind of degree is reported as liberal studies or humanities.
What Can These Figures Not Show?
These figures cannot show how a general studies program treats its own students. Two of the three describe the whole college. Graduation rate follows first-time, full-time students, and many general studies students are neither. Cost is the published tuition plus required fees for 2023-24, the latest year federal data reports fees, before aid, books or housing.
Degrees awarded is a count from a single year, and in small programs it moves. The rankings are a way to find colleges worth a closer look. How much of your credit a college accepts is a better guide than any score here, and only the college can tell you that.
Where Does the Data Come From?
The data comes from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, the federal survey every college that takes part in federal student aid must complete. The figures are as of September 29, 2026. Each ranked college links to its own record in College Navigator, and accreditation can be confirmed in the Department of Education's database.