2021 Best Colleges for General Education
Approximately 29,208 general education degrees were awarded to students last year in the United States. With so many choices it can be difficult finding the best fit for you. This year's Best Colleges for General Education ranking analyzed 34 colleges and universities that offer a bachelor's degree in general education. We look at over 20 factors to determine the top 15% of schools for General Education students.
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Choosing a Great General Education School
Your choice of general education school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list a school must excel in the following areas.
Overall Quality is a Must
A school that excels in educating for a particular major must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Over 80% of the schools in this list are in the top 23% of our overall quality ranking while the lowest ranked school on the list is still in the top 28%.
Better Early and Mid Career Salaries
General Education graduates from schools on this list tend to earn more after college than those from other schools. While the average general education bachelors degree from U.S. schools results in an average starting salary of $31,873, graduates of colleges on this list average $35,920.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on General Education students vs. other majors.
- Major Popularity - How many other general education students choose this school.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or a recognized general education related accrediting body.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for General Education students.
Best Schools to Study General Education in the United States
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for a General Education degree.
Top 10 Best Education Colleges
It's hard to beat Monmouth University if you want to study general education. Monmouth is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of West Long Branch. This college ranks 487th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of New Jersey.
There are roughly 107 general education undergraduates studying this program at Monmouth. General Education graduates from Monmouth University get a earnings boost of around $13,084 over the average earnings of general education majors.
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Michigan State University is among your top options if you're planning on studying general education. Located in the small city East Lansing, Michigan State is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 107 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Michigan State is a great school overall.
For those interested in pursuing a higher degree, Michigan State also offers a Master's Degree in general education. Students from the general education program at Michigan State University make $5,684 more than the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
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University of Massachusetts Amherst is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a General Education degree. Located in the suburb Amherst, UMass Amherst is a public college with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 118 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means UMass Amherst is a great college overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, UMass Amherst also offers 2 different higher degree levels in general education, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. University of Massachusetts Amherst general education graduates make $2,784 more than the standard education student.
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Any student who is interested in general education has to check out University of California - Irvine. UC Irvine is a very large public school located in the large city of Irvine. This school ranks 122nd out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
University of California - Irvine is one of the most popular college to study education in United States exceeding 398 graduations last year. Grads of the education program report average early career income of $24,600.
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Oregon State is a very large public school located in the small city of Corvallis. This college ranks 320th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Oregon.
For those interested in something more advanced, Oregon State also offers 2 different higher degree levels in general education, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree. Graduates from the general education major at Oregon State University get $3,784 more than the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
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Located in the suburb Easton, Stonehill is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population. This college ranks 192nd out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.
A preferred major for general education undergrads, there are approximately 12 individuals enrolled in this degree at Stonehill. Graduates from the general education program at Stonehill College get $6,584 above the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
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GVSU is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Allendale. This school ranks 377th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
In addition to its bachelor's programs, GVSU offers a Master's Degree in general education. General Education majors from Grand Valley State University receive an earnings boost of around $2,384 above the typical earnings of general education majors.
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Located in the large city Saint Louis, SLU is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. This school ranks 134th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.
A popular choice for general education undergraduates, there are roughly 30 students enrolled in this program at SLU. Soon after getting their bachelor's degree, education students typically make around $34,200 in their early careers.
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Located in the suburb University Heights, John Carroll is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population. This college ranks 293rd out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.
In addition to its bachelor's programs, John Carroll offers a Master's Degree in general education. Students who complete this degree report average early career wages of $32,000.
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Chapman is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Orange. This school ranks 197th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
With 60 students enrolled, Chapman University is one of most popular schools to study education in United States. After graduation, education students generally make an average of $27,700 in their early careers.
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View the Best Colleges for General Education for a specific region near you.
| Region |
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| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
Rankings in Majors Related to Education
General Education is one of 14 different types of Education programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to Education
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 100,925 |
| Educational Administration | 44,381 |
| Teacher Education Subject Specific | 43,516 |
| Special Education | 30,639 |
| Curriculum & Instruction | 18,767 |
View All Education Related Majors >
Notes and References
- The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to KOKUYO. More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
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Southern New Hampshire University
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Purdue University
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Grand Canyon University (GCU)
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Northcentral University
Northcentral University (NCU) was founded to provide accessible, high-quality, online graduate degrees to working professionals. As a regionally accredited, online university, NCU serves students worldwide, focusing on Doctoral and Master's degree programs in the Schools of Business and Technology Management, Education, Psychology, and Marriage and Family Sciences ... Learn More > |
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Colorado Technical University (CTU)
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