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2022 Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for General Education

410 Colleges in the United States
18,793 Master's Degrees
$49,239 Avg Early-Career Salary
General Education is of the hottest master's degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #8 most popular major in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

College Factual looked at 410 colleges and universities when compiling its 2022 Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for General Education ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 18,793 master's degrees in general education during the 2019-2020 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Other Rankings

Choosing a Great General Education School for Your Master's Degree

Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for General Education The education master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. As an aid in helping you pick the right school for you, we created our Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for General Education ranking.

While being high in popularity does not always mean a school has a quality general education program, it is a sign that a large number of students choose the school. This may be due to it being a great value, it offering a stellar educational experience, or the subject is a major focus of the school.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Associate Degrees in Education
Bachelor's Degrees in Education
Doctor's Degrees in Education
Overall Popularity in Education

This is not our only ranking, nor the only degree level we have ranked. In addition to this ranking, you may want to take at the rankings for different degree levels as called out above. You can also narrow your search by location by filtering for a certain area of the country. Plus, you can view our other rankings for general education.

Learn about the most popular colleges and universities for general education students seeking a a master's degree. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Most Well Attended Schools for Education Students Working on Their Master's

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Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, MN
1,153 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In MN
#6 Best Quality In MN

You'll be surrounded by many like-minded peers at Walden University if you want to pursue a master's degree in general education. Located in the city of Minneapolis, Walden University is a private for-profit university with a very large student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #6 in quality for master's degrees in general education in Minnesota.

There were about 1,153 general education students who graduated with this degree at Walden University in the most recent data year.

Students who graduate with their master's from the education program report average early career income of $48,300.

More information about a master’s in general education from Walden University

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902 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In CA
#22 Best Quality In CA

National University is one of the most popular schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in general education. Located in the city of La Jolla, National University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

There were about 902 general education students who graduated with this degree at National University in the most recent year we have data available.

Those general education students who get their master's degree from National University receive $9,161 more than the average education grad.

More information about a master’s in general education from National University

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648 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In AZ
#1 Best Quality In AZ

Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in general education has to look into Grand Canyon University. Located in the city of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit university with a very large student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for master's degrees in general education in Arizona.

There were about 648 general education individuals who graduated with this degree at Grand Canyon University in the most recent year we have data available.

Those general education students who get their master's degree from Grand Canyon University earn $10,161 more than the average education student.

More information about a master’s in general education from Grand Canyon University

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618 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In MD
#1 Best Quality In MD

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in general education needs to take a look at Johns Hopkins University. Johns Hopkins is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Baltimore. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for master's degrees in general education in Maryland.

There were about 618 general education individuals who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year.

Master's recipients from the general education degree program at Johns Hopkins University get $7,461 above the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a master’s in general education from Johns Hopkins University

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Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
596 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In MA
#1 Best Quality In MA

Harvard is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for master's degrees in general education in Massachusetts.

There were approximately 596 general education students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent data year.

Those general education students who get their master's degree from Harvard University make $6,161 more than the standard education graduate.

More information about a master’s in general education from Harvard University

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316 Annual Master's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In CA
#49 Best Quality In CA

UAGC is a very large private for-profit university located in the city of San Diego.

There were roughly 316 general education students who graduated with this degree at UAGC in the most recent data year.

After graduating, education master's recipients generally earn around $33,300 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a master’s in general education from The University of Arizona Global Campus

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JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
298 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In VA
#2 Best Quality In VA

JMU is a very large public university located in the small city of Harrisonburg. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #2 in quality for master's degrees in general education in Virginia.

There were approximately 298 general education students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent data year.

Soon after graduating, education master's recipients usually make an average of $45,900 in their early careers.

More information about a master’s in general education from James Madison University

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279 Annual Master's Degrees
#3 Most Popular In CA
#13 Best Quality In CA

Azusa Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Azusa.

There were roughly 279 general education individuals who graduated with this degree at Azusa Pacific in the most recent data year.

General Education master's degree recipients from Azusa Pacific University get an earnings boost of around $9,661 over the typical income of general education graduates.

More information about a master’s in general education from Azusa Pacific University

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274 Annual Master's Degrees
#4 Most Popular In CA
#8 Best Quality In CA

Located in the suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public university with a very large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #8 in quality for master's degrees in general education in California.

There were roughly 274 general education students who graduated with this degree at Cal State Fullerton in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a master’s in general education from California State University - Fullerton

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252 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In TX
#3 Best Quality In TX

Concordia University, Texas is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Lakeway. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #3 in quality for master's degrees in general education in Texas.

There were approximately 252 general education individuals who graduated with this degree at Concordia University, Texas in the most recent data year.

Those general education students who get their master's degree from Concordia University, Texas receive $3,161 more than the average education grad.

More information about a master’s in general education from Concordia University, Texas

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229 Annual Master's Degrees
#5 Most Popular In CA
#23 Best Quality In CA

Located in the large city of Riverside, Cal Baptist is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

There were roughly 229 general education students who graduated with this degree at Cal Baptist in the most recent data year.

General Education master's degree recipients from California Baptist University earn a boost of about $9,461 above the average income of general education graduates.

More information about a master’s in general education from California Baptist University

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227 Annual Master's Degrees
#6 Most Popular In CA
#12 Best Quality In CA

San Jose State is a fairly large public university located in the large city of San Jose.

There were roughly 227 general education students who graduated with this degree at San Jose State in the most recent data year.

More information about a master’s in general education from San Jose State University

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224 Annual Master's Degrees
#7 Most Popular In CA
#32 Best Quality In CA

Located in the city of San Diego, Northcentral University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

There were about 224 general education students who graduated with this degree at Northcentral University in the most recent data year.

Students who graduate with their master's from the education program state that they receive average early career wages of $45,200.

More information about a master’s in general education from Northcentral University

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216 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In OH
#2 Best Quality In OH

Ohio State is a very large public university located in the large city of Columbus. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #2 in quality for master's degrees in general education in Ohio.

There were approximately 216 general education students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent year we have data available.

Master's students who receive their degree from the education program earn about $40,600 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a master’s in general education from Ohio State University - Main Campus

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206 Annual Master's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In MN
#3 Best Quality In MN

Located in the town of Winona, SMU MN is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #3 in quality for master's degrees in general education in Minnesota.

There were approximately 206 general education students who graduated with this degree at SMU MN in the most recent data year.

Students who graduate with their master's from the education program state that they receive average early career income of $50,900.

More information about a master’s in general education from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

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201 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In NJ
#1 Best Quality In NJ

Montclair State is a very large public university located in the suburb of Montclair. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for master's degrees in general education in New Jersey.

There were roughly 201 general education students who graduated with this degree at Montclair State in the most recent data year.

Those general education students who get their master's degree from Montclair State University earn $4,661 more than the average education graduate.

More information about a master’s in general education from Montclair State University

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193 Annual Master's Degrees
#8 Most Popular In CA
#7 Best Quality In CA

Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Stockton. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #7 in quality for master's degrees in general education in California.

There were roughly 193 general education individuals who graduated with this degree at Pacific in the most recent data year.

More information about a master’s in general education from University of the Pacific

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187 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In KS
#3 Best Quality In KS

FHSU is a fairly large public university located in the town of Hays. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #3 in quality for master's degrees in general education in Kansas.

There were about 187 general education students who graduated with this degree at FHSU in the most recent year we have data available.

After graduating, education master's recipients typically earn about $41,500 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a master’s in general education from Fort Hays State University

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186 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In IN
#1 Best Quality In IN

Purdue is a fairly large public university located in the small city of West Lafayette. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for master's degrees in general education in Indiana.

There were roughly 186 general education students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent data year.

Those general education students who get their master's degree from Purdue University - Main Campus receive $4,961 more than the standard education grad.

More information about a master’s in general education from Purdue University - Main Campus

20
179 Annual Master's Degrees
#9 Most Popular In CA
#16 Best Quality In CA

CSUDH is a fairly large public university located in the city of Carson.

There were about 179 general education students who graduated with this degree at CSUDH in the most recent data year.

Master's recipients from the general education program at California State University - Dominguez Hills make $22,861 more than the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a master’s in general education from California State University - Dominguez Hills

21
176 Annual Master's Degrees
#10 Most Popular In CA
#3 Best Quality In CA

Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #3 in quality for master's degrees in general education in California.

There were roughly 176 general education students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year.

Master's recipients from the general education degree program at University of California - Los Angeles make $5,361 above the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a master’s in general education from University of California - Los Angeles

22
175 Annual Master's Degrees
#11 Most Popular In CA
#19 Best Quality In CA

Located in the city of Riverside, UCR is a public university with a fairly large student population.

There were about 175 general education students who graduated with this degree at UCR in the most recent data year.

Master's recipients from the general education program at University of California - Riverside earn $8,061 above the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a master’s in general education from University of California - Riverside

23
174 Annual Master's Degrees
#12 Most Popular In CA
#6 Best Quality In CA

PLNU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of San Diego. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #6 in quality for master's degrees in general education in California.

There were roughly 174 general education individuals who graduated with this degree at PLNU in the most recent year we have data available.

General Education master's degree recipients from Point Loma Nazarene University receive an earnings boost of about $11,261 over the typical earnings of general education majors.

More information about a master’s in general education from Point Loma Nazarene University

24
170 Annual Master's Degrees
#2 Most Popular In MD
#5 Best Quality In MD

NDMU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Baltimore. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #5 in quality for master's degrees in general education in Maryland.

There were approximately 170 general education individuals who graduated with this degree at NDMU in the most recent year we have data available.

Those general education students who get their master's degree from Notre Dame of Maryland University make $3,261 more than the standard education grad.

More information about a master’s in general education from Notre Dame of Maryland University

25
169 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Most Popular In IL
#1 Best Quality In IL

Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for master's degrees in general education in Illinois.

There were roughly 169 general education individuals who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year.

More information about a master’s in general education from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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La Salle crest
La Salle University
Philadelphia, PA
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Augustana Sioux Falls crest
Augustana University
Sioux Falls, SD

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Remaining Award Winners

This section shows the remainder of the schools awarded a Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for General Education badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 410 different United States general education schools we analyzed.

RankCollegeLocation
49University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA
51University of Northern ColoradoGreeley, CO
52California State University - Long BeachLong Beach, CA
53Eastern Washington UniversityCheney, WA
54University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusDenver, CO
55Northeastern University Professional Advancement NetworkBoston, MA
55Liberty UniversityLynchburg, VA
55Goucher CollegeBaltimore, MD
58University of Mary WashingtonFredericksburg, VA
59Capella UniversityMinneapolis, MN
60Frostburg State UniversityFrostburg, MD
61Stanford UniversityStanford, CA
61Georgian Court UniversityLakewood, NJ

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for General Education award.

RankCollegeLocation
63West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV
63Belhaven UniversityJackson, MS
65California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
65California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
65University of PortlandPortland, OR
68Tusculum UniversityGreeneville, TN
68Southwest Baptist UniversityBolivar, MO
68The University of FindlayFindlay, OH
71New Mexico State University - Main CampusLas Cruces, NM
72Teachers College of San JoaquinStockton, CA
72Baker UniversityBaldwin City, KS
74University of WyomingLaramie, WY
75Western Colorado UniversityGunnison, CO
76University of North Carolina at WilmingtonWilmington, NC
77University of Wisconsin - StoutMenomonie, WI
78Gratz CollegeMelrose Park, PA
78Metropolitan State University of DenverDenver, CO
80California University of PennsylvaniaCalifornia, PA
80University of California - San DiegoLa Jolla, CA
82California State University - San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA

General Education by Region

View the Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for General Education for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

General Education is one of 14 different types of Education programs to choose from.

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Educational Administration28,194
Teacher Education Grade Specific26,246
Special Education19,550
Teacher Education Subject Specific16,775
Curriculum & Instruction15,283
Student Counseling12,643
Instructional Media Design6,191
Teaching English or French3,473
Other Education2,066
Multilingual Education746

Notes and References

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