3 US universities shaping future leaders through liberal arts education

Today’s employers seek adaptability and flexibility in their new hires — qualities that come naturally with a liberal arts education. This approach, grounded in a long tradition, goes beyond specialised knowledge, offering a diverse skill set that includes problem-solving, creativity, leadership, and communication. 

Take Howard Schultz, Michael Eisner, Susan Wojcicki, and Jack Ma as examples. These liberal arts graduates went on to shape industries. Schultz grew Starbucks into a global powerhouse, Eisner transformed entertainment at Disney, Wojcicki shaped YouTube’s growth at Google, and Ma redefined e-commerce with Alibaba. 

If you’re looking to see what a liberal arts qualification could do for you, these are the universities to consider:

Salisbury University

Located in Salisbury, a picturesque coastal college town in Maryland, Salisbury University’s (SU) Fulton School of Liberal Arts has earned its reputation as a top pick for liberal arts education. It owes its success to its focus on adaptability, interpersonal excellence, and creative problem-solving — the versatile skills today’s employers seek most.

Students here are encouraged to develop these traits while exploring their unique talents and interests — flexibility is made possible by Fulton School’s long lineup of academic programmes. With four graduate programmes, 18 undergraduate majors, or over 40 minors, it’s safe to say there truly is something for everyone.

The Music, Theatre, and Dance programmes are popular for various reasons. Music feature specialised tracks like Traditional, Instrumental Performance, Music Technology, Vocal Performance, and Teacher Certification. Theatre provides concentrations in Design and Production, and Performance. They also offer minors in Dance, Music, Music Production, and Theatre.

The Art Department is just as broad, with BA and BFA programmes covering Art History, Two-dimensional Studio, Three-dimensional Studio, and Visual Communications. The Art BFA programme specifically hosts tracks in Ceramics, Drawing, Graphic Design, Hot Glass, New Media, Painting, Photography, and Sculpture.

Students also study humanities and social sciences, including Communication, Conflict Analysis & Dispute Resolution, English, Environmental Studies, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, or Sociology. Each route emphasises critical and creative thinking, helping learners develop strong research, communication, and managerial skills.

What truly sets SU apart is its commitment to hands-on learning. Its students put theory into practice through internships, creative performances, undergraduate research, and more. These opportunities, combined with guidance from expert faculty, build key skills in leadership and teamwork, ethical reasoning, creativity and innovation, communication, writing, and research. This explains why Salisbury University consistently ranks among the US’s top colleges, according to Princeton Review.

Learn more about how SU provides “everything a student needs to succeed.”

Since its inception, the University of San Diego’s College of Arts and Sciences has offered a holistic liberal arts and sciences education grounded in interdisciplinary learning. Source: University of San Diego / Facebook

University of San Diego

Through a landscape of scenic beaches, mountains, and deserts in the distance, the University of San Diego — part of the top 50 list of green colleges — has been up and running for 75 years now. It’s a Catholic university shaping liberal arts and sciences studies to align with the demands of the 21st century.

At least, that’s the core of the College of Arts and Sciences.

With over 57 fields of study and a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio, this institution cultivates a close-knit community where students engage closely with award-winning faculty members. For those drawn to arts, humanities, natural sciences, or social sciences, the school offers an impressive array of majors to explore.

The Core Curriculum in the College of Arts and Science is structured around four areas to challenge students to step out of their comfort zone and grow: competencies, explorations, foundations, and integration. The curriculum itself is highly customisable so that each student gets an experience tailored to their specific needs, interests, and passions.

This flexible approach pays off. Within six months of graduating, 87% of their graduates are employed full-time, attending graduate school, serving in the military, or participating in full-time service projects. Think NASA, Illumina, Harvard Medical School, or Stanford Law School. These graduates are working across 20 countries with an average starting salary of US$45,753.

This is partly thanks to the Career Readiness programme at CAS. They host Torero Treks, where students get insight into the behind-the-scenes of some of the top companies across the country. They engage their students in internship and undergraduate research experiences, community engagement, and connect them to alumni mentors. 

University of Maine’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers diverse majors and minors in the humanities, arts, social sciences, and sciences, blending the benefits of a large institution with a small college atmosphere. Source: The University of Maine / Facebook

The University of Maine

The University of Maine started with 13 students in 1868. Through a long history in pioneering research and education, today they’re home to over 11,500 students. The school has lived through plenty of shifts in the world’s landscape; they’re well aware it’s ever-changing.

That’s what the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) prepares students to adapt.

Here, there are many programmes to choose from, depending on your interest or passion, in disciplines like communication and journalism, mathematics & statistics, and more niche areas like modern languages & classics, or physics and astronomy. There is a whole list of minors to dabble in too, including interdisciplinary ones, as well as interdisciplinary degrees and concentrations.

With a 16:1 student-faculty ratio, students get to learn and communicate in a close-knit community with their peers and distinguished professors. For those seeking to enhance their academic credentials, the CLAS accelerated programmes provide an excellent opportunity. These programmes allow students to graduate with both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, saving a year of tuition and advancing their career prospects.

The university is an R1 top-tier research institution with over 150 research institutes, centres, and labs. Research at the university exists in every country and every continent. On campus, there are facilities like the Psychological Services Center, the Versant Power Astronomy Center, the School of Performing Arts, and the list goes on.

As a result of these rich academic and research opportunities, 84% of 2022 graduates are employed in fields related to their major, with 72% of in-state graduates choosing to stay and work in Maine.

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International