2027 Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania
[General Education](/majors/education/general-education/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general education education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 16 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general education students.
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2027 Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general education degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Education Schools
Our analysis ranked Holy Family University the best value for a degree in general education in Pennsylvania. Set in the city of Philadelphia, Holy Family University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $35,330 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $26,562. Early-career general education graduates make about $58,924. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 71%.
Lehigh Carbon Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general education, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the rural area of Schnecksville, Lehigh Carbon Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,280 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $13,270. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $11,000. General Education graduates of Lehigh Carbon Community College earn a median of $39,957 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $11,000 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Butler County Community College earned it the #3 place for general education. Butler County Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Butler. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,910, while out-of-state students pay about $12,000. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $10,836. Early-career general education graduates make about $41,492. That is a strong return on a $10,836 median debt.
York College Pennsylvania is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general education, landing the #4 spot this year. York College Pennsylvania is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of York. Students from in state pay about $25,588 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $26,537. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from York College Pennsylvania generally make around $63,072. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general education will find it at La Salle University, which ranked #5. La Salle University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $37,800. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $25,462. Early-career general education graduates make about $63,073. Set against $25,462 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 97%.
Pennsylvania Western University earned the #6 position for value in general education this year. Pennsylvania Western University is a large public school located in the town of California. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,436, while out-of-state students pay about $16,054. Students borrow a median of $28,263 to complete the general education program here. General Education graduates of Pennsylvania Western University earn a median of $53,403 early in their careers. Set against $28,263 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 94%.
Cedar Crest College earned the #7 position for value in general education this year. Cedar Crest College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Allentown. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $46,314. General Education graduates carry a median of $30,759 in student loans. Early-career general education graduates make about $59,798. Set against $30,759 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
Albright College ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value general education schools. Located in the city of Reading, Albright College is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $29,082. Students borrow a median of $28,958 to complete the general education program here. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Albright College generally make around $38,075. That is a strong return on a $28,958 median debt. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
Millersville University Of Pennsylvania ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value general education schools. Located in the suburb of Millersville, Millersville University Of Pennsylvania is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,128, compared with $22,952 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $26,486. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Millersville University Of Pennsylvania generally make around $47,049. Set against $26,486 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Wilson College earned the #10 position for value in general education this year. Wilson College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chambersburg. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $27,100. Students borrow a median of $34,814 to complete the general education program here. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Wilson College generally make around $58,020. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Wilson College admits about 92% of applicants.
Saint Francis University ranked #11 on our 2027 list of the best value general education schools. Saint Francis University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Loretto. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $26,388. General Education graduates carry a median of $30,729 in student loans. General Education graduates of Saint Francis University earn a median of $63,097 early in their careers. Set against $30,729 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Saint Francis University admits about 77% of applicants.
Messiah College came in at #12 for value in general education this year. Messiah College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Mechanicsburg. In-state tuition and fees average $42,240. General Education graduates carry a median of $26,195 in student loans. Early-career general education graduates make about $54,508. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 79%.
University Of Pennsylvania earned the #13 position for value in general education this year. Located in the city of Philadelphia, University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,686. Students borrow a median of $16,155 to complete the general education program here. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from University Of Pennsylvania generally make around $80,997. Set against $16,155 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Pennsylvania admits about 5% of applicants.
Temple University came in at #14 for value in general education this year. Temple University is a very large public school located in the city of Philadelphia. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,005, compared with $38,805 for out-of-state students. General Education graduates carry a median of $26,259 in student loans. General Education graduates of Temple University earn a median of $83,682 early in their careers. Set against $26,259 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Moravian College And Moravian Theological Seminary earned the #15 position for value in general education this year. Moravian College And Moravian Theological Seminary is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Bethlehem. Students from in state pay about $53,500 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,857 to complete the general education program here. Early-career general education graduates make about $48,472. Set against $26,857 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 54% of applicants are accepted.
Bucknell University earned the #16 position for value in general education this year. Set in the town of Lewisburg, Bucknell University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $67,812 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $25,951. General Education graduates of Bucknell University earn a median of $64,331 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 29% of applicants are accepted.
More General Education Rankings
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Notes and References
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 · 16 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 16 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
