What you'll do in college
Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary majors allow students to design a highly customized academic path rather than committing to a single specialized discipline. Coursework is extremely flexible, allowing you to sample broadly from the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and business. Programs often require you to synthesize methods and theories across multiple fields, culminating in a senior capstone project or multiple minor concentrations that reflect your unique academic interests.
What you'll do after college
Because the degree is so broad, graduates rely heavily on their strong "soft skills"—such as critical thinking, adaptability, complex problem-solving, and effective communication—to land jobs. Common career paths include business administration, sales, human resources, project management, and nonprofit advocacy. The major is also frequently used as a versatile stepping stone to graduate programs, such as law school, education, or business administration.
Famous graduates
- Shaquille O'Neal — Hall of Fame NBA player, entrepreneur, and sports analyst; B.A. in General Studies from Louisiana State University
- Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson — Actor, producer, entrepreneur, and former professional wrestler; Bachelor of General Studies (concentrations in Criminology and Physiology) from the University of Miami
- Will Shortz — The New York Times crossword puzzle editor; B.A. in Enigmatology (a self-designed interdisciplinary major in the study of puzzles) from Indiana University
Selectivity vs. earnings
By acceptance rate
By SAT median
Earnings vs. selectivity rank
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | 5yr Earn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts & Interdisciplinary | 952 | 43,320 | 36% / 64% | 3% | $53,303 |
| 564 | 19,902 | 36% / 64% | 3% | $55,392 | |
| 262 | 9,264 | 41% / 59% | 2% | $50,576 | |
| 151 | 5,489 | 25% / 75% | 1% | $50,538 | |
| 11 | 2,121 | 41% / 59% | 1% | $51,087 | |
| 89 | 1,843 | 33% / 67% | 7% | $49,123 | |
| 11 | 1,677 | 33% / 67% | 0% | $53,822 | |
| 7 | 503 | 38% / 62% | 2% | $55,375 | |
| 24 | 472 | 40% / 60% | 1% | $44,477 | |
| 1 | 325 | 41% / 59% | 5% | ||
| 1 | 161 | 55% / 45% | 12% | ||
| 2 | 151 | 30% / 70% | 1% | $68,562 | |
| 12 | 144 | 51% / 49% | 3% | ||
| 1 | 120 | 43% / 57% | 1% | $67,595 | |
| 3 | 115 | 31% / 69% | 1% | $59,463 | |
| 1 | 111 | 37% / 63% | 3% | $125,449 | |
| 5 | 109 | 22% / 78% | 1% | $63,621 | |
| 1 | 107 | 51% / 49% | 5% | $42,559 | |
| 1 | 92 | 49% / 51% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 85 | 52% / 48% | 31% | ||
| 1 | 56 | 36% / 64% | 0% | $44,601 | |
| 1 | 39 | 59% / 41% | 8% | $68,600 | |
| 6 | 37 | 35% / 65% | 8% | $74,507 | |
| 1 | 32 | 81% / 19% | 0% | $54,978 | |
| 1 | 31 | 13% / 87% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 27 | 37% / 63% | 0% | ||
| 2 | 23 | 22% / 78% | 4% | $63,324 | |
| 1 | 23 | 17% / 83% | 9% | ||
| 1 | 23 | 13% / 87% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 21 | 29% / 71% | 19% | ||
| 1 | 20 | 10% / 90% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 19 | 11% / 89% | 0% | $48,018 | |
| 1 | 17 | 18% / 82% | 0% | ||
| 5 | 15 | 27% / 73% | 7% | ||
| 4 | 15 | 27% / 73% | 0% | $43,696 | |
| 1 | 13 | 23% / 77% | 0% | $45,140 | |
| 4 | 12 | 25% / 75% | 8% | ||
| 1 | 12 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $46,239 | |
| 1 | 11 | 36% / 64% | 0% | ||
| 4 | 10 | 40% / 60% | 0% | $47,934 | |
| 1 | 9 | 67% / 33% | 0% | $63,621 | |
| 1 | 8 | 38% / 62% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 8 | 50% / 50% | 0% | ||
| 3 | 7 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $50,331 | |
| 2 | 7 | 29% / 71% | 14% | ||
| 1 | 6 | 67% / 33% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 6 | 67% / 33% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 5 | 100% / 0% | 20% | ||
| 1 | 5 | 20% / 80% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 5 | 20% / 80% | 20% | ||
| 1 | 3 | 33% / 67% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 2 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $82,053 | |
| 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $47,934 |