2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
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 Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 29,936 people earned their degree in general education, making the major the 35th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, general education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $47,138 and had an average of $29,674 in loans still to pay off.
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 Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 301 colleges that offered 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.
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.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree 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 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s education degrees to 81 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Stanford has also earned the #3 rank 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 Stanford University are $55,011.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 157 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pennsylvania are $41,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Harvard is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 596 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard are $50,654, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 618 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Johns Hopkins also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins University are $59,425, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 119 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on General Education at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. CSUDH is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 179 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUDH are $17,884, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about General Education at California State University - Dominguez Hills
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 169 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about General Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
California State University - Los Angeles landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 108 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Los Angeles are $17,723.
Full California State University - Los Angeles General Education Report
California State University - Fresno ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 134 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Fresno State is also in the top of our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Fresno State are $17,581, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full California State University - Fresno General Education Report
California State University - Fullerton came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 274 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fullerton are $17,892, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on General Education at Cal State Fullerton
With a ranking of #11, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 20 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
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
With a ranking of #12, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 186 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Purdue also made our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #6. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #13, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUB is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 151 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUB are $18,437, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full California State University - Bakersfield General Education Report
With a ranking of #14, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stan State is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 116 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Stanislaus are $18,540, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full California State University - Stanislaus General Education Report
California State University - Long Beach landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 103 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at CSULB are $17,784, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 176 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Tufts University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Tufts University is a fairly large school located in Medford, Massachusetts that handed out 9 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Tufts also made our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Tufts University are $55,168.
University of California - Riverside landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 175 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on this list, UCR 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. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Riverside are $28,686, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on General Education at University of California - Riverside
California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 74 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Northridge are $17,955, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #20, University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a fairly large public school situated in Duluth, Minnesota. It awarded 20 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
UMN Duluth also made our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #24. Average graduate tuition and fees at UMN Duluth are $28,606, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about General Education at University of Minnesota - Duluth
University of California - Irvine ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 7 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Irvine are $28,456, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #22, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Berkeley are $29,347, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about General Education at University of California - Berkeley
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 2 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at IU Bloomington are $33,338, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Texas A & M University - Central Texas ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Killeen, Texas, this small public school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A & M University - Central Texas are $13,561.
Read more about General Education at Texas A & M University - Central Texas
University of Central Florida came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UCF are $28,657.
Read full report on General Education at University of Central Florida
Rest of the Best 47 in Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
Not only did these schools make the top 47 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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Southeast
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Rocky Mountains
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Rocky Mountains Region
Middle Atlantic
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
Southwest
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
New England
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in the New England Region
Plains States
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
Far Western US
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
Great Lakes
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
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Best General Education Master's Degree Schools
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Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for General Education
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Most Popular Master's Degree Online General Education Schools
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Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k)
General Education students with family income less than $30k
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $48-$75k)
General Education students with family income $48-$75k
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for General Education (Income Over $110k)
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Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $30-$48k)
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General Education students with family income $75-$110k
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.
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