2023 Best Value Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k)
424
Ranked Colleges
29,810
Degrees Awarded
$5,000
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 29,810 people earned their degree in general education, making the major the 41st most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, general education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $48,719 and had an average of $23,394 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 424 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general education program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The 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 Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k”.
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 Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 68 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
Stanford also made our “Best General Education Schools” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $1,233 for education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford University.
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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Stanford General Education Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 643 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Johns Hopkins, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins University is $2,084 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%. 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.
Full Johns Hopkins University General Education Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 591 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $2,564 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.
Read full report on General Education at Harvard
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brown University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brown University is a fairly large school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 30 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brown, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brown is $1,468 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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. 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.
Read full report on General Education at Brown University
Out of the 424 schools in the Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 134 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UPenn is $580 for education 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 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 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%.
Read more about General Education at University of Pennsylvania
With a ranking of #6, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 150 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $5,194 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on General Education at UW Seattle
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 233 students in 2020-2021.
UIUC also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on General Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Florida came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UF is also in the top of our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $65 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 97%.
Read more about General Education at UF
With a ranking of #9, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 124 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best General Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $2,670 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at U-M
Vanderbilt University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt is $3,176 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 Vanderbilt General Education Report
Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 258 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue also made our “Best General Education Schools” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,995 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about General Education at Purdue University - Main Campus
California State University - Los Angeles landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 129 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $1,887 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State LA.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at Cal State LA
Tufts University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tufts is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Medford, Massachusetts. It awarded 19 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Tufts has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Tufts University is $8,122 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.
Full Tufts University General Education Report
California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 121 students in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Fresno State also did well on our “Best General Education Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $3,859 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, 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 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at California State University - Fresno
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on this list, UNC Chapel Hill is in the top on our “Best General Education Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best General Education Schools” list. It costs about $3,753 for education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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 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%.
Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill General Education Report
Michigan State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 186 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Michigan State has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $6,927 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Michigan State University General Education Report
University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 159 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus is $12,476 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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 97%.
Read full report on General Education at University of Virginia
University of California - Los Angeles came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 222 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also took the #11 spot in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,037 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about General Education at University of California - Los Angeles
University of California - Berkeley landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 45 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best General Education Schools” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,450 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 University of California - Berkeley
North Carolina State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. North Carolina State University is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
NC State also took the #22 spot in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $7,283 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at NC State
California State University - Fullerton ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 255 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $4,590 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Cal State Fullerton General Education Report
University of Georgia ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UGA is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UGA also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Education Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $8,303 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UGA General Education Report
University of Central Florida landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Orlando, Florida, this large public school awarded 82 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
UCF also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Education Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $4,468 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read more about General Education at University of Central Florida
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 127 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General Education Schools” list. It costs about $9,823 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Full University of California - San Diego General Education Report
With a ranking of #25, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 368 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Education Schools” list. It costs about $6,540 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UC Irvine General Education Report
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