2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.
In 2019-2020, 133,583 general studies students received their degree, making the major the 5th most popular in the country.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 13,667 general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 160 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general studies programs that also have a lower cost than 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 general studies program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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More Ways to Rank General Studies Schools
The general studies 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 “Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Studies (Income $0-$30k)
Out of the 160 schools in the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $3,166 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 160 schools in the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Rexburg, Idaho, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 623 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general studies students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $2,637 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend BYU - I.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Studies at Brigham Young University - Idaho
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, UW Seattle is in the top on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $7,850 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read more about General Studies at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend American Public University System. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Charles Town, West Virginia, this large private for-profit school handed out 118 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general studies students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, American Military University has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for American Public University System is $10,013 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on General Studies at American Military University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. University of North Texas is located in Denton, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 618 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNT has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,521 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Texas.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Teaneck, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 344 students in 2019-2020.
FDU also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend FDU is $10,189 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Texas Woman’s University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. TWU is a fairly large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 238 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $6,706 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend TWU.
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and it awarded 238 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.
OSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $8,669 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Oklahoma State University - Main Campus General Studies Report
Southeastern Oklahoma State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Southeastern Oklahoma State University is located in Durant, Oklahoma and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 90 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University is $6,102 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Southeastern Oklahoma State University General Studies Report
Texas Tech University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Texas Tech is a large school located in Lubbock, Texas that handed out 232 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.
Texas Tech also made our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $12,317 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas Tech.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on General Studies at Texas Tech University
The University of Texas at San Antonio ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 158 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UTSA is $10,516 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Middle Tennessee State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Middle Tennessee State University is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 98 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
Middle Tennessee State University also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Middle Tennessee State University is $8,919 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on General Studies at Middle Tennessee State University
West Virginia University Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Beckley, West Virginia, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $8,142 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend West Virginia University Institute of Technology.
Read full report on General Studies at West Virginia University Institute of Technology
With a ranking of #14, Marshall University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Marshall University is a fairly large public school situated in Huntington, West Virginia. It awarded 189 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Marshall University is $5,770 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of Mississippi landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in University, Mississippi, this large public school handed out 126 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general studies students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $9,455 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ole Miss.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
With a ranking of #16, Ferris State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Big Rapids, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 54 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general studies students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,207 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ferris State University.
Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. ENMU - Main Campus is a medium-sized public school situated in Portales, New Mexico. It awarded 77 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $8,115 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend ENMU - Main Campus.
University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Mizzou is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 100 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
Mizzou also took the #14 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $10,940 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
With a ranking of #19, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 318 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UNOMAHA also took the #18 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNOMAHA is $10,490 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
West Virginia University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Morgantown, West Virginia, and it awarded 271 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.
WVU also made our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $9,213 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend West Virginia University.
With a ranking of #21, McNeese State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lake Charles, Louisiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 124 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend McNeese is $11,892 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Shepherd University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Shepherdstown, West Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 85 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $8,068 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Shepherd University.
Louisiana State University - Alexandria came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Alexandria, Louisiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 61 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Louisiana State University - Alexandria is $7,487 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Louisiana State University - Alexandria General Studies Report
University of North Dakota did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. UND is a fairly large public school situated in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It awarded 110 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UND has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UND is $11,092 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Connecticut did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Storrs, Connecticut, this large public school handed out 106 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general studies students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCONN, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,381 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCONN.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Rocky Mountains Region
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
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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.
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