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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region

63 Ranked Colleges
3,893 Degrees Awarded
$11,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

General Education is the 41st most popular major in the country with 29,810 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.

Across the Middle Atlantic region, there were 3,893 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $46,811 and $21,316 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 63 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank General Education Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for middle atlantic region education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region

1
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Out of the 63 schools in the Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 643 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins is $2,084 for middle atlantic region education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on General Education at Johns Hopkins University

2
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 63 schools in the Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #2 spot on the list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 134 students in 2020-2021.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $580 for Middle Atlantic Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Education at UPenn

3
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Delaware. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Delaware is a public institution located in Newark, Delaware. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UD, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Delaware is $13,726 for Middle Atlantic Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at UD

4

Out of the 63 schools in the Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Maryland - Baltimore County landed the #4 spot on the list. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 66 students in 2020-2021.

UMBC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UMBC is $8,565 for middle atlantic region education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, 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 87%.

Read full report on General Education at University of Maryland - Baltimore County

5
Niagara crest
Niagara University
Niagara University, New York

Out of the 63 schools in the Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Niagara University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Niagara University, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 136 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.

Niagara not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Niagara is $13,844 for Middle Atlantic Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at Niagara

6
Montclair State crest
Montclair State University
Montclair, New Jersey

Montclair State University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Montclair, New Jersey is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 182 students in 2020-2021.

Montclair State also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Montclair State University is $12,133 for Middle Atlantic Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at Montclair State

7
Towson crest
Towson University
Towson, Maryland

Towson University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Towson, Maryland, and it awarded 70 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Towson is $7,956 for Middle Atlantic Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Towson

8
Frostburg State crest
Frostburg State University
Frostburg, Maryland

Frostburg State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Frostburg, Maryland is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 59 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Frostburg State, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $9,615 for Middle Atlantic Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Frostburg State University.

Read full report on General Education at Frostburg State University

9
Salisbury crest
Salisbury University
Salisbury, Maryland

Salisbury University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Salisbury, Maryland, this medium-sized public school awarded 25 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Salisbury, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $9,719 for middle atlantic region education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Salisbury University.

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%.

Full Salisbury General Education Report

10
Binghamton University crest
Binghamton University
Vestal, New York

Binghamton University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Binghamton University is a fairly large public school situated in Vestal, New York. It awarded 10 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

Binghamton University also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Binghamton University is $13,380 for middle atlantic region education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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%.

Read more about General Education at Binghamton University

11
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

With a ranking of #11, Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rutgers University - New Brunswick is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Rutgers New Brunswick has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rutgers University - New Brunswick is $14,935 for middle atlantic region education students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Education at Rutgers New Brunswick

12
SUNY Empire crest
SUNY Empire State College
Saratoga Springs, New York

SUNY Empire State College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Saratoga Springs, New York, and it awarded 111 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Empire is $10,978 for middle atlantic region education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad 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 full report on General Education at SUNY Empire

13
LCCC crest
Lehigh Carbon Community College
Schnecksville, Pennsylvania

Lehigh Carbon Community College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lehigh Carbon Community College is a medium-sized school located in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania that handed out 17 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend LCCC is $4,307 for middle atlantic region education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full LCCC General Education Report

14
Saint Peter's College crest
Saint Peter's University
Jersey City, New Jersey

With a ranking of #14, Saint Peter’s University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Jersey City, New Jersey, and it awarded 25 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Saint Peter’s University is $11,245 for Middle Atlantic Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Education at Saint Peter’s University

15
Brookdale Community College crest
Brookdale Community College
Lincroft, New Jersey

Brookdale Community College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brookdale Community College is a medium-sized school located in Lincroft, New Jersey that handed out 121 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Brookdale Community College is $7,366 for Middle Atlantic Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Brookdale Community College General Education Report

16
University at Buffalo crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York

University at Buffalo came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Buffalo, New York, this large public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.

University at Buffalo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University at Buffalo is $14,098 for Middle Atlantic Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University at Buffalo General Education Report

17
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

With a ranking of #17, Syracuse University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Syracuse is a private not-for-profit institution located in Syracuse, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Syracuse also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Syracuse is $17,250 for middle atlantic region education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Education at Syracuse University

18

With a ranking of #18, Rowan College of South Jersey Gloucester Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Sewell, New Jersey, this medium-sized public school awarded 85 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,578 for middle atlantic region education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rowan College of South Jersey Gloucester Campus.

Full RCSJ General Education Report

19
University of Rochester crest
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York

University of Rochester ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Rochester, New York, and it awarded 10 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Rochester also took the #16 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Rochester is $12,915 for Middle Atlantic Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The impressive undergraduate 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 University of Rochester General Education Report

20
Trinity College crest
Trinity Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

Trinity Washington University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Trinity Washington University is $12,902 for Middle Atlantic Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Trinity College General Education Report

21

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 174 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Pitt has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pitt is $15,084 for Middle Atlantic Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus General Education Report

22
Canisius crest
Canisius College
Buffalo, New York

Canisius College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Canisius is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Buffalo, New York. It awarded 3 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Canisius is $12,990 for middle atlantic region education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 Canisius College

23
GWU crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia

George Washington University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. George Washington University is a large school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 2 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GWU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GWU is $17,673 for middle atlantic region education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on General Education at GWU

24
Holy Family crest
Holy Family University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Holy Family University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Holy Family is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,657 for middle atlantic region education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Holy Family.

The low undergrad 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 full report on General Education at Holy Family University

25
STAC crest
St. Thomas Aquinas College
Sparkill, New York

St. Thomas Aquinas College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. STAC is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Sparkill, New York. It awarded 19 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $15,119 for Middle Atlantic Region Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend St. Thomas Aquinas College.

Full St. Thomas Aquinas College General Education Report

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