Is a research university right for me?–

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students. Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines. Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you. If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel. Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well. Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Is a liberal arts college right for me?–

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students. Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom). Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships, but also more pleasurable walks across campus. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers. Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Is an online college right for me?–

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available. Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degress you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no disctinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online. Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whehter you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college. Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands. Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain. Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands balancing work and life, or becuase the online colleges afford them the chance to attend a better school without moving. If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are aynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc. The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors. Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions. If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find, well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Nevada 2023

By James Barham

Published: Apr 20, 2021
Updated: Mar 13, 2023

Liberal arts colleges are a great option for students seeking a well-rounded education in an intimate campus setting. The best liberal arts colleges in Nevada offer a diverse selection of degree programs with opportunities for a highly individualized educational experience.

Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Nevada

College of Southern Nevada

24%

Nevada State College

20%

Great Basin College

17%

Western Nevada College

17%

Sierra Nevada University

14%

Nevada State College

79%

Sierra Nevada University

67%

College of Southern Nevada

21 to 1

Great Basin College

18 to 1

Western Nevada College

18 to 1

Nevada State College

18 to 1

Sierra Nevada University

9 to 1

Sierra Nevada University

$35,508

Nevada State College

$5,400

Great Basin College

$3,518

College of Southern Nevada

$3,293

Western Nevada College

$3,293

Sierra Nevada University

$18,700

Nevada State College

$4,365

Sierra Nevada University

14%

Western Nevada College

17%

Great Basin College

17%

Nevada State College

20%

College of Southern Nevada

24%

Sierra Nevada University

67%

Nevada State College

79%

Sierra Nevada University

9 to 1

Great Basin College

18 to 1

Western Nevada College

18 to 1

Nevada State College

18 to 1

College of Southern Nevada

21 to 1

College of Southern Nevada

$3,293

Western Nevada College

$3,293

Great Basin College

$3,518

Nevada State College

$5,400

Sierra Nevada University

$35,508

Nevada State College

$4,365

Sierra Nevada University

$18,700

Colleges and Universities in Nevada

From bigger universities, like the University of Nevada, Reno and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, to smaller schools, like Western Nevada College, students have plenty of options. While the University of Nevada, Las Vegas serves 25,000 students, making it Nevada’s largest higher education institute, their friendly rival university in the north, the University of Nevada, Reno, comes in at a close second, with just over 19,000 students.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

Though Western Nevada College is much smaller in student population, this school offers three campuses and seven other instructional sites across the state. With yearly tuition at the three major universities being under $10,000 and tuition at several smaller colleges coming in at $5,000 or less, students are sure to find an affordable degree. Additionally, those hoping to pursue a career in healthcare or a related field may want to consider attending one of Nevada’s three private colleges or the two biggest universities, all of which offer unique degrees in areas spanning radiology, pediatrics, and nursing. Nevada is also home to one Judaic college, Touro University Nevada, located in Henderson, a city just outside of Las Vegas.

Though most know Nevada for the glitzy casinos and attractions in Las Vegas, it is also home to beautiful Lake Tahoe, a favorite of skiers, hikers, beachgoers, locals, and vacationers. In Nevada, students can bet big and enjoy the outdoors, all while earning their degree at one of The Silver State’s exemplary colleges and universities.

Check out the top degree programs and future career opportunities offered in Nevada.

What are Nevada’s Colleges & Universities?

Nevada’s Best Overall

How do we determine Nevada's best liberal arts colleges ?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

A liberal arts college is a school that puts a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. We’ve identified 5 liberal arts colleges in Nevada. To be ranked among the best liberal arts colleges in Nevada, schools must fully accredited institutions.

Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Nevada 2022

#1
College of Southern Nevada
Las Vegas , NV
#1 Best Community Colleges in Nevada 2023 #3 Most Affordable Colleges in Nevada 2023 #3 Best Colleges in Nevada 2023 #3 Best Public Colleges in Nevada 2023
Other Rankings
- #5 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2023
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
16%
Student body
19K
What is College of Southern Nevada known for?

College of Southern Nevada’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Social Work
Education
Business
Political Science
Mathematics
Earth Sciences
Criminal Justice
Medical
History
Nursing

Most Influential Alumni

Bryce Harper
Ryback
Jacky Rosen
Frank Cifaldi
Bryan Harper
Phil Bickford
Shirley Breeden
Cris Crotz
Christopher McCombs
Victoria Seaman
James Ohrenschall
Ruben Kihuen
College of Southern Nevada’s Online Degrees
BAS in Project Management

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BAS in Fire And Emergency Services Administration

Required Credits: 121
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
Compare school
#2
Nevada State College
Henderson , NV
#1 Best Small Colleges in Nevada 2023 #4 Most Affordable Colleges in Nevada 2023 #4 Best Colleges in Nevada 2023 #4 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2023
Other Rankings
- #4 Best Public Colleges in Nevada 2023
Tuition + fees
$6K
Acceptance
79%
Graduation
29%
Student body
5K
What is Nevada State College known for?

Nevada State College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Education
Nursing
Criminal Justice
Medical
Business
Literature
History
Sociology
Psychology
Mathematics

Most Influential Alumni

Jacob P Sorrentino
Mayra Corn
Compare school
#3
Western Nevada College
Carson City , NV
#2 Best Small Colleges in Nevada 2023 #3 Best Community Colleges in Nevada 2023 #5 Most Affordable Colleges in Nevada 2023 #5 Best Colleges in Nevada 2023
Other Rankings
- #5 Best Public Colleges in Nevada 2023
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
29%
Student body
2K
What is Western Nevada College known for?

Western Nevada College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Physics
Education
Business
Criminal Justice
Computer Science
Nursing
Medical

Most Influential Alumni

Krysta Palmer
DJ Peters
John Oceguera
Scotty D. J. Strachan
Western Nevada College’s Online Degrees
BAS in Construction Management

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: None Reported
BAS in Organization And Project Management

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BAS in Construction

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: None Reported
Compare school
#4
Sierra Nevada University
Incline Village , NV
#1 Best Private Colleges in Nevada 2023 #3 Best Small Colleges in Nevada 2023 #3 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2023 #6 Best Colleges in Nevada 2023
Tuition + fees
$36K
Acceptance
67%
Graduation
34%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1010/21
What is Sierra Nevada University known for?

Sierra Nevada University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Literature
Psychology
Biology
Education

Most Influential Alumni

Krista Benjamin
P. K. O'Neill
Vincent C. Lombardi
Compare school
#5
Great Basin College
Elko , NV
#4 Best Small Colleges in Nevada 2023 #5 Best Community Colleges in Nevada 2023 #6 Most Affordable Colleges in Nevada 2023 #6 Best Public Colleges in Nevada 2023
Other Rankings
- #7 Best Colleges in Nevada 2023
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
44%
Student body
2K
What is Great Basin College known for?

Great Basin College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Social Work
Education
Earth Sciences
Business
Criminal Justice
Literature
Biology
Medical
Computer Science
Great Basin College’s Online Degrees
BAS in Management And Supervision

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BAS in Digital Information Technology

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BA in English

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BAS in Human Services

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BAS in Land Surveying/Geomatics

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
BA in Social Science

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
Compare school

Build your own college rankings

Nevada’s Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Your Area of Interest

Frequently Asked Questions About Research Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Online Colleges

In pursuing a bachelor’s degree, you will need to choose between three kinds of schools: research universities, liberal arts colleges, and online colleges.

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students.

Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines. Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you. If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel.

Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well.
Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Learn more about research universities by reading about the best research universities in the US.

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree.

Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students. Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom).
Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships, but also more pleasurable walks across campus. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers. Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Learn more about liberal arts colleges by reading about the best liberal arts colleges in the US.

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available. Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degress you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no disctinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online. Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whehter you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college.

Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands. Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain.
Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands balancing work and life, or becuase the online colleges afford them the chance to attend a better school without moving. If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are aynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc.
The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors. Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions.

If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

Check out our directory of liberal arts colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top liberal arts schools in every state.

Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Nevada 2023

Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Nevada

Colleges and Universities in Nevada

What are Nevada’s Colleges & Universities?

Nevada’s Best Overall

Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Nevada 2022

College of Southern Nevada

Most Influential Alumni

College of Southern Nevada’s Online Degrees

Nevada State College

Most Influential Alumni

Western Nevada College

Most Influential Alumni

Western Nevada College’s Online Degrees

Sierra Nevada University

Most Influential Alumni

Great Basin College

Great Basin College’s Online Degrees

Nevada’s Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Your Area of Interest