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2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

463 Ranked Colleges
56,042 Degrees Awarded
$5,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 56,042 people earned their degree in general business/commerce, making the major the 16th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, general business/commerce graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $43,399 and had an average of $26,389 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 463 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general business/commerce. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general business/commerce programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general business/commerce program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank General Business/Commerce Schools

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Business/Commerce (Income $0-$30k)

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 463 schools in the Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 114 ’s general business degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $245 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Business/Commerce at Northwestern University

2
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 32 ’s general business degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn also made our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend UPenn is $580 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Business/Commerce at University of Pennsylvania

3
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Out of the 463 schools in the Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #3 spot on the list. Johns Hopkins University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 312 ’s general business degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general business students whose families make $0-$30k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins University is $2,084 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Business/Commerce at Johns Hopkins

4
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general business degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,500 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on General Business/Commerce at UChicago

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 53 ’s general business degrees in 2020-2021.

MIT also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MIT is $5,193 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Business/Commerce at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

6

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 3,071 degrees to qualified ’s general business students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general business students whose families make $0-$30k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,752 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Business/Commerce at IU Bloomington

7

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 221 ’s general business degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $3,981 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - Madison General Business/Commerce Report

8
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wake Forest University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 131 diplomas to qualified ’s general business students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general business students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wake Forest University has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,401 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wake Forest University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Wake Forest University General Business/Commerce Report

9
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Harvard is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s general business degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, Harvard is in the top on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $2,564 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Harvard University.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Harvard General Business/Commerce Report

10

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. USF Tampa is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 337 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, USF Tampa also did well on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $4,176 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Business/Commerce at USF Tampa

11
Northeastern crest
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts

Northeastern University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northeastern University is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 1,021 ’s general business degrees in 2020-2021.

Northeastern also made our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern University is $10,240 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Business/Commerce at Northeastern University

12
South Texas College crest
South Texas College
McAllen, Texas

South Texas College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. South Texas College is a large school located in McAllen, Texas that handed out 327 ’s general business degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend South Texas College is $1,200 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Business/Commerce at South Texas College

13
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, Texas

With a ranking of #13, El Centro College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. El Centro College is a large school located in Dallas, Texas that handed out 228 ’s general business degrees in 2020-2021.

El Centro College also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $3,791 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend El Centro College.

Full El Centro College General Business/Commerce Report

14
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 120 degrees to qualified ’s general business students in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. It costs about $9,872 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Notre Dame.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Business/Commerce at University of Notre Dame

15

With a ranking of #15, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. IUPUI is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 785 ’s general business degrees in 2020-2021.

IUPUI also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $7,026 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis General Business/Commerce Report

16

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMCP is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 27 ’s general business degrees in 2020-2021.

UMCP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMCP is $6,067 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Business/Commerce at University of Maryland - College Park

17
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Emory University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Emory University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Emory also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,538 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Emory.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Business/Commerce at Emory

18
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general business degrees to 144 students in 2020-2021.

Florida State also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $4,950 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Business/Commerce at Florida State University

19
NKU crest
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Northern Kentucky University is a fairly large school located in Highland Heights, Kentucky that handed out 221 ’s general business degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, NKU is also in the top of our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Northern Kentucky University is $4,632 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Business/Commerce at Northern Kentucky University

20

University of Central Florida ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general business degrees to 890 students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UCF also did well on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $4,468 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Business/Commerce at University of Central Florida

21

University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 783 ’s general business degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general business students whose families make $0-$30k list, Mizzou has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mizzou is $11,005 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Business/Commerce at University of Missouri - Columbia

22
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general business degrees to 120 students in 2020-2021.

Michigan State excels when it comes to general business quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $6,927 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Business/Commerce at Michigan State

23

Austin Community College District landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Austin Community College District is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 352 ’s general business degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $3,264 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Austin Community College District.

Read full report on General Business/Commerce at Austin Community College District

24
Mt. SAC crest
Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California

With a ranking of #24, Mt. San Antonio College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Walnut, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general business degrees to 116 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Mt. SAC is $2,412 for general business students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Mt. SAC General Business/Commerce Report

25

Citadel Military College of South Carolina did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Charleston, South Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general business degrees to 284 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, The Citadel is in the top on our “Best General Business/Commerce Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for The Citadel is $7,451 for General Business students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Citadel Military College of South Carolina General Business/Commerce Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Pima County Community College District crest
Pima Community College
Tucson, Arizona
27
28
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia
29
Salt Lake Community College crest
Salt Lake Community College
Salt Lake City, Utah
30
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
31
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana
32
CSI crest
College of Staten Island CUNY
Staten Island, New York
33
34
Skidmore crest
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, New York
35
Montgomery College crest
Montgomery College
Rockville, Maryland
36
Macomb Community College crest
Macomb Community College
Warren, Michigan
37
38
39
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
40
41
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan
42
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
43
SUNY Empire crest
SUNY Empire State College
Saratoga Springs, New York
44
OCCC crest
Oklahoma City Community College
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
45
46
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
47
Brandeis crest
Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts
48
49
Frederick Community College crest
Frederick Community College
Frederick, Maryland
50
PFW crest
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value General Business Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
52Truckee Meadows Community CollegeReno, NV
52Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX
54Glendale Community CollegeGlendale, CA
55Collin County Community College DistrictMcKinney, TX
56University of OregonEugene, OR
57Tacoma Community CollegeTacoma, WA
58Howard CollegeBig Spring, TX
59Community College of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, PA
60Springfield Technical Community CollegeSpringfield, MA
61University of Houston - Clear LakeHouston, TX
62West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV
63Gateway Community CollegeNew Haven, CT
64Hagerstown Community CollegeHagerstown, MD
65Community College of Rhode IslandWarwick, RI
RankCollegeLocation
66Holmes Community CollegeGoodman, MS
67Horry-Georgetown Technical CollegeConway, SC
68Northern Essex Community CollegeHaverhill, MA
69Raritan Valley Community CollegeBranchburg, NJ
70San Jacinto Community CollegePasadena, TX

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