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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $48-$75k)

297 Ranked Colleges
18,793 Degrees Awarded
$29,200 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value General Education Schools for a Master's For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 18,793 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 297 colleges that offered a degree in general education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general education programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank General Education Schools

The general education school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree general education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $48-$75k)

#1

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s general education degrees to 596 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard are $50,654, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at Harvard

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 81 masters’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011.

Read full report on General Education at Stanford

#3

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s general education degrees to 618 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Johns Hopkins, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins are $59,425, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at Johns Hopkins University

#4

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 157 masters’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pennsylvania are $41,760, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at UPenn

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 179 masters’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUDH are $17,884, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full CSUDH General Education Report

#6

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#6 in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Purdue is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 186 masters’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree general education students whose families make $48-$75k list, Purdue has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Purdue General Education Report

Top 25% in overall quality

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 108 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Los Angeles are $17,723, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at California State University - Los Angeles

Top 15% in overall quality

California State University - Fresno landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 134 masters’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Fresno State is in the top on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Fresno State are $17,581.

Read full report on General Education at Fresno State

Top 25% in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 274 masters’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fullerton are $17,892.

Full California State University - Fullerton General Education Report

#10

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#11 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 119 degrees to qualified masters’s general education students in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Education at U-M

#11

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#7 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 176 degrees to qualified masters’s general education students in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Los Angeles are $28,131.

Read full report on General Education at University of California - Los Angeles

#5 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 169 masters’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083.

Read more about General Education at UIUC

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Bakersfield is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 151 masters’s general education degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at CSUB are $18,437.

Read more about General Education at CSUB

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 116 masters’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Stan State are $18,540.

Read full report on General Education at California State University - Stanislaus

California State University - Long Beach ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 103 degrees to qualified masters’s general education students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Long Beach are $17,784.

Full California State University - Long Beach General Education Report

#16

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
Top 15% in overall quality

University of California - Riverside ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 175 masters’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UCR is in the top on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Riverside are $28,686, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of California - Riverside General Education Report

#17

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
Top 20% in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of Wyoming did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wyoming is a fairly large public school situated in Laramie, Wyoming. It awarded 68 masters’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW is also in the top of our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW are $16,615, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at University of Wyoming

#18

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Top 15% in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 masters’s general education degrees to qualified students.

UNC Chapel Hill also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Chapel Hill are $30,248, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on General Education at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

California State University - Northridge landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 74 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUN are $17,955, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at CSUN

#20

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#18 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 14 masters’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347.

Read full report on General Education at UC Berkeley

#24 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UMN Duluth is a fairly large public school situated in Duluth, Minnesota. It awarded 20 masters’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UMN Duluth are $28,606, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on General Education at University of Minnesota - Duluth

#22

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 149 masters’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Santa Barbara are $28,670.

Read full report on General Education at UCSB

#23

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Virginia is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 133 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Virginia - Main Campus are $32,394, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Virginia - Main Campus General Education Report

Top 25% in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 74 masters’s general education degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Sac State are $18,356, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at Sac State

#25

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. University of Central Florida is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 14 masters’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Central Florida are $28,657.

Read more about General Education at University of Central Florida

Rest of the Best 45 in Best Value General Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k

Not only did these schools make the top 45 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#30

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#31

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#32

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Fairbanks, Alaska
#34

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington
#36

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#37

Heritage University

Toppenish, Washington
#39

Minot State University

Minot, North Dakota
#41

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#42

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
#43

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#45

Southern Utah University

Cedar City, Utah

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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