Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

General Education

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid

301 Ranked Colleges
18,793 Degrees Awarded
$25,200 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Education Schools for a Master's For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 301 colleges that offer 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank General Education Schools

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 Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree education students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for General Education (With Aid)

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. CSUDH is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 179 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 CSUDH are $17,884.

Read more about General Education at CSUDH

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 108 students in 2019-2020.

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 Cal State LA General Education Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 134 students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Fresno State also did well 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 California State University - Fresno are $17,581, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at Fresno State

Top 25% in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 274 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 Cal State Fullerton are $17,892.

Read full report on General Education at Cal State Fullerton

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Bakersfield. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. CSUB is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 151 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Bakersfield are $18,437.

Read more about General Education at CSUB

#6

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s education degrees to 596 students in 2019-2020.

Harvard also made our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard University are $50,654, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on General Education at Harvard

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 116 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Stan State are $18,540, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

California State University - Long Beach came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 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.

Full CSULB General Education Report

Texas A & M University - Central Texas landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Killeen, Texas, and it awarded 5 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A & M University - Central Texas are $13,561, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Texas A & M University - Central Texas General Education Report

#10

Stanford University

Stanford, California

Stanford University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford are $55,011, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at Stanford University

#11

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 20 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNC Chapel Hill is also in the top of our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UNC Chapel Hill General Education Report

California State University - Northridge came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 74 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Northridge are $17,955, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at CSUN

#13

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 186 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at Purdue

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 169 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#15

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 175 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UCR is also in the top of our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. 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 some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UCR General Education Report

#16

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #16, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 176 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our master’s degree education students with aid list, UCLA has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. 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

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 74 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Sacramento are $18,356, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Sac State General Education Report

#18

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming

University of Wyoming came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW is located in Laramie, Wyoming and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 68 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW is also in the top of our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wyoming are $16,615.

Read full report on General Education at University of Wyoming

#25 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #25 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Irvine are $28,456, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UC Irvine General Education Report

California State University - San Marcos came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 35 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUSM are $18,661, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full California State University - San Marcos General Education Report

#21

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Fairbanks, Alaska

University of Alaska Fairbanks landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Alaska Fairbanks is a medium-sized school located in Fairbanks, Alaska that handed out 29 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 University of Alaska Fairbanks are $24,287.

Read more about General Education at University of Alaska Fairbanks

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 23 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona are $18,377, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Cal Poly Pomona General Education Report

University of California - San Diego came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 61 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCSD are $28,631, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at UCSD

#24

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 227 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at San Jose State University are $18,790, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at San Jose State University

#25

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 119 masters’s 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 you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Rest of the Best 46 in Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 46 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

Montclair State University

Montclair, New Jersey
#28

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#29

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
#30

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#31

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington
#32

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#33

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#34

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#35

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#36

Augusta University

Augusta, Georgia
#37

Minot State University

Minot, North Dakota
#38

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
#40

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#41

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia
#42

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana
#43

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#44

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#46

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

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