Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education in Massachusetts (With Aid)

13 Ranked Colleges
264 Degrees Awarded
$27,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor's in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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

Across Massachusetts, there were 1,701 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 264 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,887 and $24,387 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 13 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general education programs that also have a lower cost than 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general education students with aid.

Top 13 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education in Massachusetts (With Aid)

#1

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

North Adams, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid. This small school is located in North Adams, Massachusetts, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MCLA, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend MCLA is $16,861 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Education students with aid.

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 full report on General Education at MCLA

#2

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Massachusetts Amherst. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid. University of Massachusetts Amherst is a large school located in Amherst, Massachusetts that handed out 24 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $22,501 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general education students with aid per year to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about General Education at UMass Amherst

#3

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts
#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Salem State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Salem, Massachusetts, this medium-sized public school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree general education students with aid list, Salem State has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Salem State is $18,399 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general education students with aid.

Read full report on General Education at Salem State

#4

Bay Path University

Longmeadow, Massachusetts
#13 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bay Path University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid. Longmeadow, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general education degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Bay Path not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bay Path is $22,211 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Education students with aid.

Full Bay Path University General Education Report

#5

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts
#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Smith College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Smith College is a small school located in Northampton, Massachusetts that handed out 21 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Smith did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $28,305 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Education students with aid per year to attend Smith.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Smith College General Education Report

#5

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Tufts University landed the #5 spot on the list. Tufts University is located in Medford, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s general education degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree general education students with aid list, Tufts has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Tufts University is $30,744 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general education students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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%.

Read more about General Education at Tufts

#7

Elms College

Chicopee, Massachusetts
#12 in overall quality

Elms College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. This small school is located in Chicopee, Massachusetts, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Elms College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Elms College is $23,855 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general education students with aid.

Read more about General Education at Elms College

#8

Springfield College

Springfield, Massachusetts
#8 in overall quality

Springfield College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.

Springfield College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Springfield College is $30,134 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general education students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Education at Springfield College

#9

Merrimack College

North Andover, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

Merrimack College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Merrimack College is a medium-sized school located in North Andover, Massachusetts that handed out 70 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree general education students with aid list, Merrimack has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $33,650 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Education students with aid per year to attend Merrimack.

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%.

Read more about General Education at Merrimack

#10

Stonehill College

Easton, Massachusetts
#3 in overall quality

Stonehill College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Stonehill is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Easton, Massachusetts. It awarded 14 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stonehill, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stonehill College is $34,658 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Education students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at Stonehill

#11

Lesley University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#11 in overall quality

Lesley University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Lesley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $33,644 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general education students with aid per year to attend Lesley.

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. The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 more about General Education at Lesley University

#12

Endicott College

Beverly, Massachusetts
#6 in overall quality

Endicott College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Endicott College is located in Beverly, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s general education degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Endicott, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Endicott College is $35,642 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Education students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Endicott College General Education Report

#13

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts
#4 in overall quality

Brandeis University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Brandeis University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waltham, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree general education students with aid list, Brandeis has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brandeis is $31,165 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general education students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Brandeis General Education Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You