Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

General Education

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $48-$75k) in California

46 Ranked Colleges
5,842 Degrees Awarded
$22,500 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Education Schools for a Master's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

General Education is the 35th most popular major in the country with 29,936 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.

Across California, there were 7,838 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,089 and $30,845 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 5,842 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $60,281 and $50,119 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 46 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for General Education (Income $48-$75k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California

Out of the 46 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 81 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford are $55,011.

Full Stanford University General Education Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 179 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at CSUDH are $17,884.

Full California State University - Dominguez Hills General Education Report

Out of the 46 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 108 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State LA are $17,723, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at California State University - Los Angeles

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 134 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Fresno State are $17,581.

Read more about General Education at California State University - Fresno

#20 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 274 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fullerton are $17,892, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full California State University - Fullerton General Education Report

#6

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 176 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Los Angeles are $28,131, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of California - Los Angeles General Education Report

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUB is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 151 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 CSUB are $18,437.

Full California State University - Bakersfield General Education Report

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Stan State is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 116 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Stan State are $18,540, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Stan State General Education Report

California State University - Long Beach landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 103 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at CSULB are $17,784.

Read full report on General Education at California State University - Long Beach

#10

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 175 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Riverside are $28,686.

Full University of California - Riverside General Education Report

California State University - Northridge landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 74 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUN are $17,955, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Education at California State University - Northridge

#12

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

University of California - Berkeley ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on General Education at UC Berkeley

#13

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 149 students in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Santa Barbara are $28,670, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at UCSB

California State University - Sacramento came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 74 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Sac State are $18,356.

Read more about General Education at California State University - Sacramento

University of California - San Diego ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 61 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also made our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - San Diego are $28,631, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at UCSD

University of California - Davis ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 135 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Davis are $28,700, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at University of California - Davis

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #0 rank in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Irvine are $28,456.

Read more about General Education at UC Irvine

California State University - San Marcos came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUSM is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 35 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - San Marcos are $18,661, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at California State University - San Marcos

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona are $18,377, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Education at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#20

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#23 in overall quality

San Jose State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 227 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.

San Jose State also made our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. Average graduate tuition and fees at San Jose State are $18,790, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at San Jose State University

#21

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

With a ranking of #21, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school awarded 60 degrees 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 CSUSB are $17,936.

Read full report on General Education at CSUSB

California State University - Monterey Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. CSUMB is a medium-sized school located in Seaside, California that handed out 55 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at CSUMB are $18,081.

Read more about General Education at CSUMB

#23

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#17 in overall quality

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 153 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree education students whose families make $48-$75k list, SDSU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at San Diego State University are $18,658.

Full SDSU General Education Report

#24

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 126 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at SFSU are $17,944, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full San Francisco State University General Education Report

California State University - East Bay ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal State East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - East Bay are $17,828, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at California State University - East Bay

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