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 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 degrees you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no distinction 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. Whether 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 of balancing work and life, or because the online college affords 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 asynchronous, 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 2024

Q: 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 and make walks across campus more fun. 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.

Badge for BEST IN NEVADA LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES

By Dr. James Barham

Published: Apr 20, 2021
Updated: Oct 26, 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.

College of Southern Nevada
Sierra Nevada University
Great Basin College
Western Nevada College
Nevada State University

Nevada State University 82%

Nevada State University 18 to 1
Great Basin College 17 to 1
College of Southern Nevada 17 to 1
Western Nevada College 17 to 1

Nevada State University $5,550
Great Basin College $3,607
College of Southern Nevada $3,383
Western Nevada College $3,383

Nevada State University $4,487

Great Basin College
Sierra Nevada University
Western Nevada College
Nevada State University
College of Southern Nevada

Nevada State University
Western Nevada College
Great Basin College
Sierra Nevada University
College of Southern Nevada

Nevada State University 82%

Great Basin College 17 to 1
College of Southern Nevada 17 to 1
Western Nevada College 17 to 1
Nevada State University 18 to 1

College of Southern Nevada $3,383
Western Nevada College $3,383
Great Basin College $3,607
Nevada State University $5,550

Nevada State University $4,487

Table of Contents

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 2023

#1
College of Southern Nevada
Las Vegas , NV
#1 Best Community Colleges in Nevada 2024 #3 Most Affordable Colleges in Nevada 2024 #3 Best Public Colleges in Nevada 2024 #3 Best Colleges in Nevada 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
17%
Student body
40K
Career Outlook for degree at College of Southern Nevada
Cost of Degree: $3,968
Starting Salary: $37,400
What is College of Southern Nevada known for?

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

Anthropology
Social Work
Education
Earth Sciences
Business
Mathematics
Criminal Justice
Political Science
Medical
Computer Science

Most Influential Alumni

Bryce Harper
Ryback
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 University
Henderson , NV
#1 Best Small Colleges in Nevada 2024 #4 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #4 Most Affordable Colleges in Nevada 2024 #4 Best Public Colleges in Nevada 2024
Other Rankings
- #4 Best Colleges in Nevada 2024
Tuition + fees
$6K
Acceptance
82%
Graduation
32%
Student body
9K
What is Nevada State University known for?

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

Education
Psychology
Nursing
Communications
Medical
Biology
Literature
Business
History
Compare school
#3
Western Nevada College
Carson City , NV
#2 Best Small Colleges in Nevada 2024 #3 Best Community Colleges in Nevada 2024 #5 Most Affordable Colleges in Nevada 2024 #5 Best Public Colleges in Nevada 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
34%
Student body
5K
Career Outlook for degree at Western Nevada College
Cost of Degree: $3,838
Starting Salary: $35,800
What is Western Nevada College known for?

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

Physics
Criminal Justice
Education
Business
Medical
Nursing
Computer Science
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 2024 #3 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #3 Best Small Colleges in Nevada 2024 #6 Best Colleges in Nevada 2024
Student body
<1K
What is Sierra Nevada University known for?

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

Biology
Psychology
Literature
Education
Compare school
#5
Great Basin College
Elko , NV
#4 Best Small Colleges in Nevada 2024 #5 Best Community Colleges in Nevada 2024 #6 Most Affordable Colleges in Nevada 2024 #6 Best Public Colleges in Nevada 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
48%
Student body
4K
Career Outlook for degree at Great Basin College
Cost of Degree: $3,772
Expenses: $11,570
Starting Salary: $37,300
Cost Recoup Time: 9 years
Paid back at 15% of annual salary
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
Medical
Computer Science
Biology
Literature
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 and make walks across campus more fun. 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 degrees you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no distinction 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. Whether 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 of balancing work and life, or because the online college affords 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 asynchronous, 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.

Do you have a question about this topic? Ask it here

Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Nevada 2024

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 2023

College of Southern Nevada

Career Outlook for degree at College of Southern Nevada

Most Influential Alumni

College of Southern Nevada’s Online Degrees

Nevada State University

Western Nevada College

Career Outlook for degree at Western Nevada College

Western Nevada College’s Online Degrees

Sierra Nevada University

Great Basin College

Career Outlook for degree at Great Basin College

Great Basin College’s Online Degrees

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