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2023 Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

367 Ranked Colleges
10,547 Degrees Awarded
$6,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 10,547 people earned their degree in secondary education, making the major the 84th most popular in the United States.

For this year’s “Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 367 colleges that offer a degree in secondary education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great secondary education programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the secondary education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Secondary Education Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Secondary Education (Income $0-$30k)

1
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 37 ’s secondary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also took the #2 spot in our “Best Secondary Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $3,176 for secondary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 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%.

Full Vanderbilt Secondary Education Report

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 367 schools in the Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #2 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 6 ’s secondary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern also took the #14 spot in our “Best Secondary Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $245 for Secondary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern University Secondary Education Report

3

Out of the 367 schools in the Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #3 spot on the list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 75 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Secondary Education Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,752 for Secondary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Secondary Education at Indiana University - Bloomington

4

Out of the 367 schools in the Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #4 spot on the list. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s secondary teaching degrees to qualified students.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Secondary Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for Secondary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Secondary Education Report

5

Out of the 367 schools in the Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Maryland - College Park landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Maryland - College Park is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our secondary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMCP has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Secondary Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - College Park is $6,067 for secondary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 more about Secondary Education at UMCP

6

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 77 ’s secondary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

UCF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Secondary Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCF is $4,468 for Secondary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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 more about Secondary Education at University of Central Florida

7

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 8 ’s secondary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also made our “Best Secondary Education Schools” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $4,858 for Secondary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Secondary Education Report

8
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s secondary teaching degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

Florida State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Secondary Education Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $4,950 for Secondary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Florida State University Secondary Education Report

9

With a ranking of #9, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. ASU - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 287 ’s secondary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our secondary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k list, ASU - Tempe has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Secondary Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend ASU - Tempe is $8,969 for secondary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Secondary Education at Arizona State University - Tempe

10
South Texas College crest
South Texas College
McAllen, Texas

South Texas College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. South Texas College is a public institution located in McAllen, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 73 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for South Texas College is $1,200 for secondary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Secondary Education at South Texas College

11
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Boston College is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. It awarded 17 ’s secondary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Boston College is also in the top of our “Best Secondary Education Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Secondary Education Schools” list. It costs about $10,212 for secondary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Boston College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 Secondary Education at Boston College

12
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Jacksonville, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s secondary teaching degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Florida is $4,367 for secondary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full UNF Secondary Education Report

13
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wake Forest University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. This medium-sized school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 8 ’s secondary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Wake Forest University is $10,401 for Secondary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Secondary Education at Wake Forest University

14
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, Texas

El Centro College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. El Centro College is a large public school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 28 ’s secondary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend El Centro College is $3,791 for Secondary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Secondary Education at El Centro College

15

University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. UNLV is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 61 ’s secondary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

UNLV not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Secondary Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UNLV is $8,991 for Secondary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Nevada - Las Vegas Secondary Education Report

16
NKU crest
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky

With a ranking of #16, Northern Kentucky University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northern Kentucky University is a public institution located in Highland Heights, Kentucky. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Kentucky University is $4,632 for Secondary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Secondary Education at NKU

17
TCNJ crest
The College of New Jersey
Ewing, New Jersey

With a ranking of #17, The College of New Jersey did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Ewing, New Jersey, this medium-sized public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified ’s secondary teaching students in 2020-2021.

TCNJ not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Secondary Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend The College of New Jersey is $14,273 for secondary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The College of New Jersey Secondary Education Report

18
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wazzu is located in Pullman, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s secondary teaching degrees to qualified students.

Wazzu also made our “Best Secondary Education Schools” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $7,689 for Secondary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Washington State University.

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%.

Read full report on Secondary Education at Wazzu

19

With a ranking of #19, College of Southern Nevada did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, this large public school awarded 64 diplomas to qualified ’s secondary teaching students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,140 for Secondary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend College of Southern Nevada.

Full CSN Secondary Education Report

20
Converse crest
Converse College
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Converse College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Converse College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It awarded 4 ’s secondary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $20,672 for Secondary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Converse College.

Full Converse Secondary Education Report

21
Towson crest
Towson University
Towson, Maryland

Towson University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Towson is a large public school situated in Towson, Maryland. It awarded 20 ’s secondary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

Towson also claimed a top spot on our “Best Secondary Education Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Secondary Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Towson University is $7,956 for Secondary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Secondary Education at Towson University

22
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

With a ranking of #22, Ball State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 12 ’s secondary teaching degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Ball State is in the top on our “Best Secondary Education Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $8,273 for Secondary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Full Ball State University Secondary Education Report

23
WWU crest
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Western Washington University is a public institution located in Bellingham, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 49 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

WWU excels when it comes to secondary teaching quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Western Washington University is $9,979 for secondary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 full report on Secondary Education at WWU

24

Tarrant County College District landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fort Worth, Texas, this large public school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified ’s secondary teaching students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Tarrant County College District is $4,947 for Secondary Teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Tarrant County College Secondary Education Report

25
UNG crest
University of North Georgia
Dahlonega, Georgia

University of North Georgia came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Dahlonega, Georgia, this fairly large public school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified ’s secondary teaching students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UNG is $7,943 for secondary teaching students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UNG Secondary Education Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

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

26
Marshall University crest
Marshall University
Huntington, West Virginia
27
McDaniel crest
McDaniel College
Westminster, Maryland
28
29
30
31
32
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota
33
34
Community College of Philadelphia crest
Community College of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
35
36
37
38
UARK crest
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
39
40
GaSou crest
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, Georgia
41
42
43
ICC crest
Itawamba Community College
Fulton, Mississippi
44
45
Holmes Community College crest
Holmes Community College
Goodman, Mississippi
46
Clemson crest
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina
47
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan
48
49
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona
50
Canisius crest
Canisius College
Buffalo, New York

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Secondary Teaching Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

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

RankCollegeLocation
51Indiana University - EastRichmond, IN
52Southeastern Oklahoma State UniversityDurant, OK
53Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, FL
54Purdue University Fort WayneFort Wayne, IN
55Missouri State University - SpringfieldSpringfield, MO
56Louisiana Tech UniversityRuston, LA

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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