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2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

159 Ranked Colleges
13,667 Degrees Awarded
Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 159 colleges that offer a degree in general studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general studies programs, but they also 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 general studies program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Studies (Income $48-$75k)

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 67 students 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. It costs about $10,028 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend U-M.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Top 20% in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW Seattle also did well 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. It costs about $9,694 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 93%.

Read more about General Studies at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#3

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Public University System. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Charles Town, West Virginia, and it awarded 118 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

American Military University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for American Public University System is $8,461 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full American Military University General Studies Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Idaho. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Brigham Young University - Idaho is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Rexburg, Idaho. It awarded 623 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Idaho is $6,287 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full BYU - I General Studies Report

Top 25% in overall quality

Out of the 159 schools in the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas Woman’s University landed the #5 spot on the list. Texas Woman’s University is a fairly large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 238 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Texas Woman’s University is $9,629 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full TWU General Studies Report

#14 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 100 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mizzou, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $13,145 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Studies at University of Missouri - Columbia

With a ranking of #7, The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UTSA is a large school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 158 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UTSA is $13,827 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about General Studies at The University of Texas at San Antonio

#18 in overall quality

University of Nebraska at Omaha came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, this fairly large public school awarded 318 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general studies students in 2019-2020.

UNOMAHA also took the #18 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha is $13,833 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about General Studies at UNOMAHA

#9

University of St. Thomas

Houston, Texas
#12 in overall quality

University of St. Thomas came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of St. Thomas is a small school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 60 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UST also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,429 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of St. Thomas.

Read more about General Studies at University of St. Thomas

With a ranking of #10, Louisiana State University - Alexandria did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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 yearly cost to attend Louisiana State University - Alexandria is $8,400 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Studies at Louisiana State University - Alexandria

West Virginia University Institute of Technology landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. West Virginia University Institute of Technology is a small school located in Beckley, West Virginia that handed out 21 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend West Virginia University Tech is $11,764 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Studies at West Virginia University Institute of Technology

#12

College of Saint Mary

Omaha, Nebraska

College of Saint Mary ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Saint Mary is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 12 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,206 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend College of Saint Mary.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 General Studies at College of Saint Mary

#13

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, West Virginia University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. West Virginia University is a large school located in Morgantown, West Virginia that handed out 271 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, WVU has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WVU is $13,220 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Studies at WVU

Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Portales, New Mexico, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,117 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend ENMU - Main Campus.

Read more about General Studies at Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus

Southeastern Oklahoma State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Durant, Oklahoma, this medium-sized public school handed out 90 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general studies students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,796 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Read more about General Studies at Southeastern Oklahoma State University

#16

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
#17 in overall quality

University of North Texas ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Denton, Texas, this large public school awarded 618 diplomas 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 $48-$75k list, UNT has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNT is $15,377 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about General Studies at University of North Texas

#17

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#10 in overall quality

University of North Dakota came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 110 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 $48-$75k list, UND has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of North Dakota is $15,109 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 more about General Studies at University of North Dakota

#18

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

Marshall University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Huntington, West Virginia, this fairly large public school awarded 189 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general studies students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Marshall University is $8,488 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Studies at Marshall University

#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Stillwater, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 238 students in 2019-2020.

OSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $14,698 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend OSU.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on General Studies at OSU

Potomac State College of 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 $48-$75k ranking. Keyser, West Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Potomac State College of West Virginia University is $9,155 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about General Studies at WVU Potomac State College

#21

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia

University of North Georgia ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Dahlonega, Georgia, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UNG is $11,169 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full University of North Georgia General Studies Report

#22

Shepherd University

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

With a ranking of #22, Shepherd University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Shepherd University is a small school located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia that handed out 85 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Shepherd University is $11,719 for Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Studies at Shepherd University

#23

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
Top 25% in overall quality

Texas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. Texas State University is a large school located in San Marcos, Texas that handed out 164 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Texas State is $14,250 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Texas State University General Studies Report

#19 in overall quality

Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k 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 made our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $16,384 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend FDU.

Read more about General Studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus

#16 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Arlington, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 312 students in 2019-2020.

UT Arlington also made our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $14,622 for bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UT Arlington.

Read full report on General Studies at UT Arlington

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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