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2024 Best General Education Schools

413 Colleges in the United States
29,810 Education Degrees Awarded
$48,719 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in general education, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #41 in the country in terms of popularity. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 413 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best General Education Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 29,810 degrees in general education to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great General Education School

Best General Education Schools 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. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for general education schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each 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

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

The education school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best General Education Schools. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.


 

Best Schools for General Education in the United States

The schools below may not offer all types of education degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Education

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
591 Education Degrees Awarded
$78,976 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in general education needs to look into Harvard University. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were about 591 general education students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general education degree program at Harvard University get $30,257 more than the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general education from Harvard University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
643 Education Degrees Awarded
$53,931 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Johns Hopkins University if you wish to pursue a degree in general education. Located in the large city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were about 643 general education students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general education degree program at Johns Hopkins University make $5,212 above the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general education from Johns Hopkins University

3
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
134 Education Degrees Awarded
$67,978 Median Starting Salary

University of Pennsylvania is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in general education. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were roughly 134 general education students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available. General Education degree recipients from University of Pennsylvania receive an earnings boost of approximately $19,259 over the typical earnings of general education majors.

More information about a degree in general education from University of Pennsylvania

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
150 Education Degrees Awarded
29.3% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in general education has to check out University of Washington - Seattle Campus. UW Seattle is a fairly large public university located in the city of Seattle. A Best Colleges rank of #37 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UW Seattle is a great university overall.

There were approximately 150 general education students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available. General Education degree recipients from University of Washington - Seattle Campus earn a boost of around $6,502 above the typical income of general education majors.

More information about a degree in general education from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

5
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
19th Most Popular In TN
18.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were about 11 general education students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general education from Vanderbilt University

6
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
68 Education Degrees Awarded
$70,559 Median Starting Salary

Located in the 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 schools 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 receive $21,840 more than the standard education graduate.

More information about a degree in general education from Stanford University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
233 Education Degrees Awarded
15.5% Growth in Graduates

UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were about 233 general education students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. General Education degree recipients from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign get an earnings boost of approximately $7,379 over the average income of general education majors.

More information about a degree in general education from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
20th Most Popular In IL

Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 1 general education students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general education from Northwestern University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 Education Degrees Awarded
24.1% Growth in Graduates

Claremont Graduate University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Claremont. This university ranks 27th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 58 general education students who graduated with this degree at Claremont Graduate University in the most recent year we have data available. Those general education students who get their degree from Claremont Graduate University receive $53,374 more than the average education graduate.

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

10
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In RI
20.0% Growth in Graduates

Brown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Providence. A Best Colleges rank of #21 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Brown is a great university overall.

There were about 30 general education students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general education from Brown University

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
258 Education Degrees Awarded
$70,750 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 42 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were about 258 general education students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent data year. General Education degree recipients from Purdue University - Main Campus receive an earnings boost of approximately $22,031 over the average earnings of general education graduates.

More information about a degree in general education from Purdue University - Main Campus

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
159 Education Degrees Awarded
1.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 159 general education students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. General Education degree recipients from University of Virginia - Main Campus earn a boost of approximately $20,677 over the typical earnings of general education majors.

More information about a degree in general education from University of Virginia - Main Campus

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
222 Education Degrees Awarded
1.8% Growth in Graduates

UCLA is a fairly 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 roughly 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 approximately $11,575 over the typical earnings of general education majors.

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

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
45 Education Degrees Awarded
$85,849 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very 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 about 45 general education students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. General Education degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley get an earnings boost of approximately $37,130 above the typical income of general education graduates.

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

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
368 Education Degrees Awarded
$38,782 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 15th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 368 general education students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the education program state that they receive average early career income of $38,782.

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

16
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
186 Education Degrees Awarded
$44,345 Median Starting Salary

Michigan State is a fairly large public university located in the small city of East Lansing. This university ranks 2nd out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 186 general education students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the education program make about $44,345 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in general education from Michigan State University

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
127 Education Degrees Awarded
29.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 8th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 127 general education students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available. General Education degree recipients from University of California - San Diego receive an earnings boost of about $5,983 over the typical earnings of general education majors.

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

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In GA
39 Education Degrees Awarded

UGA is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Athens. This university ranks 3rd out of 68 colleges for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were approximately 39 general education students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general education from University of Georgia

19
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In OR
160 Education Degrees Awarded

Located in the fringe town of Monmouth, Western Oregon State College is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 6th out of 30 colleges for overall quality in the state of Oregon.

There were about 160 general education students who graduated with this degree at Western Oregon State College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general education from Western Oregon University

20
NUS Florida crest
Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
296 Education Degrees Awarded
$70,333 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Fort Lauderdale, NUS Florida is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 77 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were about 296 general education students who graduated with this degree at NUS Florida in the most recent year we have data available. Those general education students who get their degree from Nova Southeastern University earn $21,614 more than the average education student.

More information about a degree in general education from Nova Southeastern University

21
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In FL
38 Education Degrees Awarded

UF is a fairly large public university located in the city of Gainesville. This university ranks 1st out of 77 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were roughly 38 general education students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general education from University of Florida

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In CA
145 Education Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 22nd out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

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

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

23
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 year we have data available. General Education degree recipients from National University receive an earnings boost of approximately $10,182 over the typical earnings of general education majors.

More information about a degree in general education from National University

23
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, MN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,234 Education Degrees Awarded
$60,979 Median Starting Salary

Walden University is a very large private for-profit university located in the city of Minneapolis.

There were roughly 1234 general education students who graduated with this degree at Walden University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general education program at Walden University get $12,260 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general education from Walden University

24

Iowa State is a very large public university located in the city of Ames. This university ranks 1st out of 40 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were about 19 general education students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the education program earn about $45,872 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in general education from Iowa State University

Rest of the Top Best General Education Schools

26
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
27
28
29
30
31
32

33

34
Hamline crest
Hamline University
Saint Paul, MN
35
36
37
37
Monmouth crest
Monmouth University
West Long Branch, NJ
38
39
40

41

42
43
44
Lesley crest
Lesley University
Cambridge, MA
45
46
Pacific crest
Pacific University
Forest Grove, OR
47
Niagara crest
Niagara University
Niagara University, NY
48
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN
49

 

Additional Award Winners

This section represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best General Education Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 413 different United States general education schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
51 Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA
52 University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI
53 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
54 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
55 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
56 University of San Diego San Diego, CA
57 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
58 Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego, CA
59 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
60 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
61 Augustana University Sioux Falls, SD
65 Boston University Boston, MA

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best General Education Schools award.

Rank College Location
62 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN
63 Winona State University Winona, MN
64 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA
65 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
66 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
67 Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Winona, MN
68 Oregon State University Corvallis, OR
69 California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
70 Notre Dame of Maryland University Baltimore, MD
71 Denison University Granville, OH
72 University of Maryland - Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
73 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
74 Southwestern University Georgetown, TX
75 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
76 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
77 Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN
78 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
79 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
80 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
81 University of Vermont Burlington, VT
82 Chapman University Orange, CA

General Education by Region

View the Best General Education Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

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 29,810

View All Education Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 110,226
Educational Administration 46,469
Teacher Education Subject Specific 43,297
Special Education 36,792
Curriculum & Instruction 19,832
Student Counseling 13,858
Instructional Media Design 8,695
Teaching English or French 5,791
Other Education 4,858
Teaching Assistants 2,751

View All Education Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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Degree Guides by Major
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