by our College Data Analytics Team
[General Education](/majors/education/general-education/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find the best return on investment for general education students.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general education degrees they offer, see the list below.
Middlesex County College tops our 2027 list of the best value general education schools in New Jersey. Set in the suburb of Edison, Middlesex County College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,764, while out-of-state students pay about $7,356. Students borrow a median of $7,000 to complete the general education program here. Early-career general education graduates make about $16,846. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Passaic County Community College came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value general education schools. Set in the suburb of Paterson, Passaic County Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $6,300, while out-of-state students pay about $10,560. General Education graduates carry a median of $9,581 in student loans. General Education graduates of Passaic County Community College earn a median of $28,957 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Salem Community College came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value general education schools. Set in the suburb of Carneys Point, Salem Community College is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,360, with out-of-state students paying around $10,260. Students borrow a median of $17,232 to complete the general education program here. Early-career general education graduates make about $51,781. That is a strong return on a $17,232 median debt.
Brookdale Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general education, landing the #4 spot this year. Brookdale Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Lincroft. Students from in state pay about $6,270 in tuition and fees, compared with $10,140 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $8,750 to complete the general education program here. General Education graduates of Brookdale Community College earn a median of $19,157 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $8,750 median debt.
Saint Peters College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general education, landing the #5 spot this year. Saint Peters College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Jersey City. In-state tuition and fees average $42,552. General Education graduates carry a median of $22,969 in student loans. General Education graduates of Saint Peters College earn a median of $58,382 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Montclair State University ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value general education schools. Set in the suburb of Montclair, Montclair State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $15,912 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $26,022. General Education graduates carry a median of $25,286 in student loans. Early-career general education graduates make about $61,225. That is a strong return on a $25,286 median debt. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Gloucester County College earned the #7 position for value in general education this year. Located in the suburb of Sewell, Gloucester County College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $5,160 in tuition and fees, compared with $6,000 for out-of-state students. General Education graduates carry a median of $10,987 in student loans. Early-career general education graduates make about $38,274. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Georgian Court University landed the #8 spot for general education value this year. Set in the city of Lakewood, Georgian Court University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $37,110. General Education graduates carry a median of $24,752 in student loans. General Education graduates of Georgian Court University earn a median of $63,268 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,752 median debt. Georgian Court University admits about 79% of applicants.
Rowan University earned the #9 position for value in general education this year. Located in the suburb of Glassboro, Rowan University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,574, with out-of-state students paying around $26,932. Students borrow a median of $24,488 to complete the general education program here. Early-career general education graduates make about $61,640. Set against $24,488 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Rutgers University New Brunswick came in at #10 for value in general education this year. Rutgers University New Brunswick is a very large public school located in the city of New Brunswick. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,929, with out-of-state students paying around $37,441. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $25,120. Early-career general education graduates make about $58,402. That is a strong return on a $25,120 median debt. The acceptance rate is 58%.
Monmouth University placed #11 among the best values for general education. Monmouth University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of West Long Branch. Students from in state pay about $46,552 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the general education program here. General Education graduates of Monmouth University earn a median of $59,382 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Felician College ranked #12 on our 2027 list of the best value general education schools. Felician College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lodi. Students from in state pay about $39,300 in tuition and fees. General Education graduates carry a median of $28,500 in student loans. Early-career general education graduates make about $56,976. Set against $28,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.