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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education in Massachusetts

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

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts” ranking, we looked at 13 colleges that offer a degree in general education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general education 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 education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts” list to help you make the college decision.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts

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

Top 13 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Education in Massachusetts

#1

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Massachusetts Amherst landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Massachusetts Amherst is a large public school situated in Amherst, Massachusetts. It awarded 24 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Amherst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Amherst is $22,501 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general education students.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at University of Massachusetts Amherst

#2

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

North Adams, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. MCLA is a small public school situated in North Adams, Massachusetts. It awarded 16 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

MCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for MCLA is $16,861 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Education students.

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.

Read more about General Education at MCLA

#3

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts
#9 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts that were part of this year’s ranking, Salem State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Salem, Massachusetts, this medium-sized public school awarded 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Salem State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $18,399 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Education students per year to attend Salem State University.

Full Salem State University General Education Report

#4

Lesley University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#11 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts that were part of this year’s ranking, Lesley University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general education students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lesley, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lesley University is $33,644 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general education students.

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%. 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.

Full Lesley University General Education Report

#5

Endicott College

Beverly, Massachusetts
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Endicott College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. 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.

Endicott not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Endicott is $35,642 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general education students.

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%.

Read more about General Education at Endicott

#6

Springfield College

Springfield, Massachusetts
#8 in overall quality

Springfield College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Springfield College is located in Springfield, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s general education degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree general education students list, Springfield College has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Springfield College is $30,134 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Education students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on General Education at Springfield College

#7

Bay Path University

Longmeadow, Massachusetts
#13 in overall quality

Bay Path University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Bay Path University is located in Longmeadow, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s general education degrees to qualified students.

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. It costs about $22,211 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general education students per year to attend Bay Path.

Read full report on General Education at Bay Path

#8

Elms College

Chicopee, Massachusetts
#12 in overall quality

Elms College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Elms College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicopee, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s 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 yearly cost to attend Elms College is $23,855 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Education students.

Read full report on General Education at Elms College

#9

Merrimack College

North Andover, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

Merrimack College landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. North Andover, Massachusetts 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 70 students in 2019-2020.

Merrimack also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Merrimack College is $33,650 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Education students.

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 did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking, coming in at #10. Stonehill is a private not-for-profit institution located in Easton, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Stonehill also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $34,658 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general education students per year to attend Stonehill College.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at Stonehill College

#11

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts
#7 in overall quality

Smith College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking, coming in at #11. This small school is located in Northampton, Massachusetts, and it awarded 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. The yearly cost to attend Smith is $28,305 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Education students.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 1.1% 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 Smith College

#12

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts
#4 in overall quality

Brandeis University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Waltham, Massachusetts 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 12 students in 2019-2020.

Brandeis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Brandeis is $31,165 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree General Education students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Brandeis General Education Report

#13

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

Tufts University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Tufts is a fairly large school located in Medford, Massachusetts that handed out 5 bachelors’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Tufts also made our “Best General Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Tufts is $30,744 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree general education students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Education at Tufts University

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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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