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2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

180 Ranked Colleges
4,798 Degrees Awarded
$8,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

General Education is the 28th most popular major in the country with 29,936 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,798 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 180 colleges that offer a degree in general education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general education programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

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

More Ways to Rank General Education Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $30-$48k)

#1

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 180 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brown University landed the #1 spot on the list. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Brown has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brown is $6,684 for Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive 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. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.

Read full report on General Education at Brown University

#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 180 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $6,017 for Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Vanderbilt University General Education Report

#3

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Colgate University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Hamilton, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.

Colgate not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Colgate University is $8,958 for bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about General Education at Colgate

#4

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#11 in overall quality

Out of the 180 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

UF also took the #11 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $4,069 for Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at University of Florida

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 106 students in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $7,467 for bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#6

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

Swarthmore College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Swarthmore, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Swarthmore is $8,701 for bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Education at Swarthmore

#7

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
Top 20% in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Purdue also did well on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,879 for bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at Purdue

#8

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#12 in overall quality

Tufts University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Medford, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

Tufts also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Tufts University is $6,516 for bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about General Education at Tufts

#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,464 for bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIUC.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Education at UIUC

#10

Berea College

Berea, Kentucky

With a ranking of #10, Berea College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Berea, Kentucky, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,296 for Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Berea.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Education at Berea College

#11

Colorado College

Colorado Springs, Colorado
#18 in overall quality

Colorado College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. This small school is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colorado College, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado College is $8,812 for bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on General Education at Colorado College

#21 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 367 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #21 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $10,373 for Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Education at UC Irvine

#13

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#20 in overall quality

North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

NC State also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $9,887 for Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend North Carolina State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full NC State General Education Report

#14

Heritage University

Toppenish, Washington

Heritage University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Heritage University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Toppenish, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Heritage University is $10,065 for bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about General Education at Heritage University

#15

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida
Top 25% in overall quality

Florida Atlantic University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. FAU is a large public school situated in Boca Raton, Florida. It awarded 65 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for FAU is $7,331 for bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Education at FAU

#16

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin
Top 20% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It awarded 74 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Green Bay excels when it comes to general education quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Green Bay is $11,641 for Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UW - Green Bay General Education Report

#17

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

Beloit College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Beloit College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Beloit, Wisconsin. It awarded 16 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,628 for Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Beloit.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Beloit College General Education Report

#18

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#19 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 221 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $12,459 for Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend GVSU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at Grand Valley State University

#19

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida

Florida Gulf Coast University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Florida Gulf Coast University is a fairly large school located in Fort Myers, Florida that handed out 38 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for FGCU is $8,748 for bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Education at Florida Gulf Coast University

#20

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
Top 20% in overall quality

Texas Tech University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Texas Tech University is a large public school situated in Lubbock, Texas. It awarded 133 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Texas Tech is in the top on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $13,326 for Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas Tech.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Education at Texas Tech University

Top 20% in overall quality

University of California - San Diego ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

UCSD excels when it comes to general education quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $9,974 for Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCSD General Education Report

The University of Texas at San Antonio landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. The University of Texas at San Antonio is a large school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 82 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,109 for bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UTSA.

Read more about General Education at UTSA

#23

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts

Smith College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Smith is a small school located in Northampton, Massachusetts that handed out 21 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Smith College is $10,169 for bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about General Education at Smith College

#24

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington

Eastern Washington University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. EWU is a public institution located in Cheney, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,821 for bachelor’s degree general education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend EWU.

Read more about General Education at EWU

With a ranking of #25, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Mizzou is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s general education degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,595 for Bachelor’s Degree General Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Mizzou.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at University of Missouri - Columbia

Rest of the Best 28 in Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 28 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#27

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#28

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to KOKUYO.

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