College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

677 Ranked Colleges
43,003 Degrees Awarded
$5,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Elementary Education is the 17th most popular major in the country with 43,003 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 677 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in elementary education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great elementary education programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the elementary education program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Elementary Teaching Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for elementary teaching students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Elementary Education (Income $30-$48k)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 677 schools in the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 16 degrees to qualified ’s elementary teaching students in 2020-2021.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $1,581 for Elementary Teaching students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Stanford University

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 677 schools in the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 38 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools” list. It costs about $4,777 for elementary teaching students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UChicago.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at UChicago

3
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UPenn is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 20 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn also took the #4 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,938 for elementary teaching students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Elementary Education at University of Pennsylvania

4
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Out of the 677 schools in the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Hunter College landed the #4 spot on the list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s elementary teaching degrees to 140 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Hunter is in the top on our “Best Elementary Education Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Hunter College is $2,135 for Elementary Teaching students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Hunter College

5
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Out of the 677 schools in the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #5 spot on the list. Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,652 for elementary teaching students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Vanderbilt.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Vanderbilt Elementary Education Report

6
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Florida is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 118 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our “Best Elementary Education Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $2,857 for elementary teaching students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Florida.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full UF Elementary Education Report

7

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 92 degrees to qualified ’s elementary teaching students in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $7,061 for elementary teaching students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Elementary Education Report

8
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

With a ranking of #8, Brooklyn College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Brooklyn, New York, and it awarded 155 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Brooklyn College also did well on our “Best Elementary Education Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Elementary Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $3,105 for elementary teaching students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Brooklyn College Elementary Education Report

9

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 83 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle also took the #6 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $6,399 for Elementary Teaching students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

10

With a ranking of #10, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 68 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools” list. It costs about $8,036 for Elementary Teaching students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at UIUC

11
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 83 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Purdue is in the top on our “Best Elementary Education Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Elementary Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,853 for elementary teaching students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Purdue University - Main Campus

12

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 21 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, U-M is in the top on our “Best Elementary Education Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $5,670 for Elementary Teaching students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Elementary Education at U-M

13

With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 105 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also claimed a top spot on our “Best Elementary Education Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,788 for elementary teaching students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at University of Wisconsin - Madison

14
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

Queens College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Queens, New York, and it awarded 173 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend QC is $3,524 for Elementary Teaching students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Queens College

15

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 142 degrees to qualified ’s elementary teaching students in 2020-2021.

USF Tampa also claimed a top spot on our “Best Elementary Education Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $5,632 for elementary teaching students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Elementary Education at USF Tampa

16

The City College of New York did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s elementary teaching degrees to 69 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,035 for Elementary Teaching students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The City College of New York.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CCNY Elementary Education Report

17

University of Central Florida ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCF is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 319 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UCF is $6,256 for elementary teaching students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at UCF

18
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Johns Hopkins University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 8 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Elementary Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins University is $4,859 for elementary teaching students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Elementary Education at Johns Hopkins University

19
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York

With a ranking of #19, Lehman College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lehman College is a fairly large school located in Bronx, New York that handed out 27 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,381 for elementary teaching students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lehman.

Read more about Elementary Education at Lehman College

20

Brigham Young University - Idaho ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. BYU - I is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Rexburg, Idaho. It awarded 145 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,357 for elementary teaching students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Brigham Young University - Idaho Elementary Education Report

21

Florida International University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 108 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, FIU is in the top on our “Best Elementary Education Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $4,882 for elementary teaching students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Florida International University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Elementary Education at FIU

22
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #22, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school handed out 71 diplomas to qualified ’s elementary teaching students in 2020-2021.

Florida State excels when it comes to elementary teaching quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $7,349 for elementary teaching students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Florida State University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at Florida State

23

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 87 ’s elementary teaching degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our elementary teaching students whose families make $30-$48k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Elementary Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $8,609 for elementary teaching students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Elementary Education at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

24

With a ranking of #24, Sinclair Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Dayton, Ohio, and it awarded 54 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,227 for elementary teaching students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Sinclair Community College.

Read more about Elementary Education at Sinclair Community College

25

University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. University of Maryland - College Park is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 58 ’s elementary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

UMCP also took the #1 spot in our “Best Elementary Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMCP is $11,567 for elementary teaching students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Elementary Education at University of Maryland - College Park

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia
27
28
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
29
30
Middlesex Community College crest
Middlesex Community College
Bedford, Massachusetts
31
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
32
CWU crest
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, Washington
33
34
WGU crest
Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, Utah
35
36
37
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
38
39
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina
40
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington
41
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona
42
43
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina
44
Indian River State College crest
Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, Florida
45
UW crest
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
46
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware
47
48
49
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Elementary Teaching Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, FL
52Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, KY
53Towson UniversityTowson, MD
54Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, MI
55Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN
56Marshall UniversityHuntington, WV
57University of North GeorgiaDahlonega, GA
58Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA
59Fayetteville Technical Community CollegeFayetteville, NC
60University of Alaska FairbanksFairbanks, AK
61Northeast Community CollegeNorfolk, NE
62The University of West FloridaPensacola, FL
63Holmes Community CollegeGoodman, MS
64Minot State UniversityMinot, ND
65Itawamba Community CollegeFulton, MS
RankCollegeLocation
66Oklahoma State University - Main CampusStillwater, OK
67Florida Gulf Coast UniversityFort Myers, FL
68University of ArizonaTucson, AZ
69University of Wisconsin - River FallsRiver Falls, WI
70Indiana University - NorthwestGary, IN
71St Petersburg CollegeClearwater, FL
72Valley City State UniversityValley City, ND
73Community College of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, PA
74Indiana University - South BendSouth Bend, IN
75East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC
76Eastern Washington UniversityCheney, WA
77Elizabeth City State UniversityElizabeth City, NC
78Bristol Community CollegeFall River, MA
79Northwest Missouri State UniversityMaryville, MO
80Utah State UniversityLogan, UT
81University of North DakotaGrand Forks, ND
82University of Missouri - ColumbiaColumbia, MO
83Murray State UniversityMurray, KY
84Northeastern State UniversityTahlequah, OK
84Purdue University Fort WayneFort Wayne, IN
86New Mexico State University - Main CampusLas Cruces, NM
87The College of New JerseyEwing, NJ
88York CollegeJamaica, NY
89University of KentuckyLexington, KY
90Boston UniversityBoston, MA
RankCollegeLocation
91University of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboro, NC
92Southeastern Oklahoma State UniversityDurant, OK
93Indiana University - EastRichmond, IN
94Fayetteville State UniversityFayetteville, NC
95Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbus, OH
96Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT
97Wisconsin Lutheran CollegeMilwaukee, WI
98University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
99Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State, MS
100Purdue University NorthwestHammond, IN
101Quinsigamond Community CollegeWorcester, MA
101University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options