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2024 Best General Education Schools in California

50 Colleges in California
7,597 Education Degrees Awarded
$58,160 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in general education is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #41 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 50 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for general education students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 7,597 degrees in general education during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great General Education School

Best General Education Schools in California The education program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for General Education rankings. For our Best Overall General Education School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

General Education Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Education
Master's Degrees in Education
Doctor's Degrees in Education

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best General Education Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.


 

Best Schools for General Education in California

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the education degree levels they offer.

10 Top California Schools in Education

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
68 Education Degrees Awarded
$70,559 Median Starting Salary

Stanford University is a great option for students interested in a degree in general education. Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were approximately 68 general education students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent data year. Those general education students who get their degree from Stanford University make $12,399 more than the average education student.

More information about a degree in general education from Stanford University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 Education Degrees Awarded
24.1% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat Claremont Graduate University if you want to pursue a degree in general education. Claremont Graduate University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Claremont. A Best Colleges rank of #185 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Claremont Graduate University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 58 general education students who graduated with this degree at Claremont Graduate University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general education major at Claremont Graduate University get $43,933 more than the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general education from Claremont Graduate University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
222 Education Degrees Awarded
1.8% Growth in Graduates

University of California - Los Angeles is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in general education. UCLA is a very large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were about 222 general education students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. General Education degree recipients from University of California - Los Angeles get an earnings boost of about $2,134 over the average earnings of general education graduates.

More information about a degree in general education from University of California - Los Angeles

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
45 Education Degrees Awarded
$85,849 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in general education has to look into University of California - Berkeley. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were roughly 45 general education students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general education degree program at University of California - Berkeley earn $27,689 above the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general education from University of California - Berkeley

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
368 Education Degrees Awarded
$38,782 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #61 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.

There were about 368 general education students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, education degree recipients generally make around $38,782 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in general education from University of California - Irvine

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
127 Education Degrees Awarded
29.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.

There were approximately 127 general education students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the education program earn an average of $54,702 for their early career.

More information about a degree in general education from University of California - San Diego

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In CA
145 Education Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means SDSU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 145 general education students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general education from San Diego State University

8
National University crest
National University
San Diego, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,075 Education Degrees Awarded
16.1% Growth in Graduates

National University is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of San Diego. This university ranks 33rd out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 1075 general education students who graduated with this degree at National University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, education degree recipients generally earn an average of $58,901 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in general education from National University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
706 Education Degrees Awarded
$53,382 Median Starting Salary

Northcentral University is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of San Diego. This university ranks 53rd out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 706 general education students who graduated with this degree at Northcentral University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the education program make an average of $53,382 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in general education from Northcentral University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
259 Education Degrees Awarded
$79,690 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Azusa, Azusa Pacific is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 43rd out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 259 general education students who graduated with this degree at Azusa Pacific in the most recent data year. General Education degree recipients from Azusa Pacific University receive an earnings boost of around $21,530 over the typical earnings of general education majors.

More information about a degree in general education from Azusa Pacific University


 

Best General Education Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best General Education Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 300 728
Oregon 266 748
Nevada 192 36
Hawaii 164 64
Alaska 119 26

View All Rankings >

One of 14 majors within the Education area of study, General Education has other similar majors worth exploring.

Education Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Education 7,597

View All Education Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Education

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 7,601
Special Education 3,154
Educational Administration 2,692
Student Counseling 2,023
Teacher Education Subject Specific 1,094
Curriculum & Instruction 614
Instructional Media Design 490
Other Education 435
Teaching English or French 372
Teaching Assistants 247

View All Education Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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