2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Education
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Education is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 4th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 310,601 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $43,887 and had an average of $30,244 in loans still to pay off.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 151,132 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s” ranking analyzed 949 colleges that offered a degree in education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great education programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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More Ways to Rank Education Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s” list to help you make the college decision.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Education
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Governors University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s. This large school is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it awarded 5,984 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
WGU also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at Western Governors University are $7,790, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Martin Luther College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s. Martin Luther College is a small school located in New Ulm, Minnesota that handed out 27 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Martin Luther College are $5,400, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s list. Brigham Young University - Provo is a large school located in Provo, Utah that handed out 77 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
BYU excels when it comes to education quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at BYU are $7,510, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Education at Brigham Young University - Provo
Out of the 949 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern College landed the #4 spot on the list. Orange City, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s education degrees to 100 students in 2019-2020.
NWC also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern College are $6,340.
Out of the 949 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Concordia University, Chicago landed the #5 spot on the list. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 844 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Concordia University, Chicago also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Concordia University, Chicago are $9,378.
Read full report on Education at Concordia University, Chicago
Gordon College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s list. Gordon College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wenham, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 80 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Gordon College also did well on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Gordon College are $6,400, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of the Cumberlands came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s ranking. University of the Cumberlands is a fairly large school located in Williamsburg, Kentucky that handed out 1,144 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Cumberlands are $4,582, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Westfield State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s list. Westfield State University is a public institution located in Westfield, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 55 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Westfield excels when it comes to education quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Westfield are $6,696.
VanderCook College of Music did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at VanderCook College of Music are $7,730, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #10, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s list. Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine is located in Erie, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, LECOM is also in the top of our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at LECOM are $13,448, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Education Report
With a ranking of #11, Providence College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s list. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 107 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, Providence is in the top on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Providence are $9,750, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #12, Hamline University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s list. This small school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 183 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Hamline is also in the top of our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Hamline University are $11,577, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Drake University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #13. Drake University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 217 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Drake excels when it comes to education quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Drake are $11,932, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Greensboro College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s list. Greensboro College is located in Greensboro, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 65 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Greensboro College are $5,500.
Concordia University, Nebraska did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #15. Concordia University, Nebraska is a private not-for-profit institution located in Seward, Nebraska. The school has a small population, and it awarded 140 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Concordia University, Nebraska are $8,650, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Education at Concordia University, Nebraska
Saint Michael’s College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s ranking. Saint Michael’s is located in Colchester, Vermont and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 81 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
Saint Michael’s also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Saint Michael’s College are $11,160.
With a ranking of #17, Valley City State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s list. Located in Valley City, North Dakota, this small public school awarded 38 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Valley City State University are $7,473.
With a ranking of #17, Azusa Pacific University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s list. Azusa, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s education degrees to 381 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, Azusa Pacific is in the top on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at Azusa Pacific are $16,571, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Fitchburg State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s ranking. Fitchburg State University is a public institution located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 366 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Fitchburg State University are $6,012.
Concordia University, Irvine came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s ranking. Concordia University, Irvine is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 519 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Concordia University, Irvine also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Concordia University, Irvine are $8,121.
Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #20. Scottsdale, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 1,447 students in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at ASU - Skysong are $6,724.
Seattle University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s ranking. Seattle University is a medium-sized school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 164 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Seattle U excels when it comes to education quality. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Seattle U are $14,040, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #22, Morningside College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s list. Morningside College is located in Sioux City, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 322 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Morningside College are $5,400.
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s ranking. SMU MN is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 486 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, SMU MN is in the top on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota are $10,260, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Education at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
With a ranking of #25, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s list. Mankato, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 170 students in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Minnesota State University - Mankato are $8,788.
Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Point Loma Nazarene University | San Diego, CA |
| 52 | Liberty University | Lynchburg, VA |
| 53 | The College of Saint Scholastica | Duluth, MN |
| 54 | The College of New Jersey | Ewing, NJ |
| 55 | Ashland University | Ashland, OH |
| 56 | Cabrini University | Radnor, PA |
| 56 | Hunter College | New York, NY |
| 58 | Worcester State University | Worcester, MA |
| 59 | Stevenson University | Stevenson, MD |
| 59 | Endicott College | Beverly, MA |
| 61 | Southwest Baptist University | Bolivar, MO |
| 62 | Arkansas State University - Main Campus | Jonesboro, AR |
| 63 | Capella University | Minneapolis, MN |
| 64 | Bethel University Minnesota | Saint Paul, MN |
| 65 | University of Mary | Bismarck, ND |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 141 | Bob Jones University | Greenville, SC |
| 141 | Hood College | Frederick, MD |
| 143 | North Park University | Chicago, IL |
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Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Horadrim.
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