2023 Best Value General Education Schools
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best General Education School for You
In 2020-2021, 21,189 people earned a degree or certificate in general education, making the major the #12 most popular in the United States.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Grad Degree Search has created the Best Value General Education Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 352 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value programs for education students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Featured schools near , edit
2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the United States
Check out the education programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.
Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality in General Education
Our 2023 rankings named La Salle University the best value school in the United States for general education students. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, La Salle is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at La Salle are $33,150 per year.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Cabrini University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools list. Cabrini University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Radnor.
Cabrini University undergraduate students pay an average of $33,845 in tuition and fees each year.
Out of the 352 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Martin Luther College landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the distant town of New Ulm, MLC is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
MLC undergraduate students pay an average of $16,910 in tuition and fees each year.
Read full report on General Education at Martin Luther College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Worcester State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools list. Located in the city of Worcester, Worcester State is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Worcester State are $16,666 per year.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Morningside College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools list. Located in the small city of Sioux City, Morningside is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Morningside are $35,270 per year.
Whitworth University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for general education students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Spokane, Whitworth is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Whitworth undergraduate students pay an average of $47,590 in tuition and fees each year.
In addition to its great value ranking, Whitworth is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best General Education Schools list.
Read full report on General Education at Whitworth University
Brandman University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools list. Brandman is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Irvine.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Brandman are $12,480 a year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Brandman also did well on our Best General Education Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full report on General Education at Brandman University
Southwest Baptist University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for general education students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the distant town of Bolivar, Southwest Baptist University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Southwest Baptist University are $26,060 a year.
University of Northwestern - St Paul did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for general education students. It came in at #9 on the list. Northwestern is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Paul.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northwestern are $34,180 per year.
Full General Education at University of Northwestern - St Paul Report
Goucher College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools list. Goucher is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Baltimore.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Goucher are $48,200 per year.
Goucher excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best General Education Schools list.
York College of Pennsylvania ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools list. YCP is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize suburb of York.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at YCP are $22,350 a year.
YCP also claimed a spot on our Best General Education Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Minot State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for general education students. It came in at #12 on the list. MSU is a small public school located in the remote town of Minot.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MSU are $8,163 per year.
With a ranking of #13, Delta State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general education students. Delta State University is a small public school located in the town of Cleveland.
Delta State University undergraduate students pay an average of $8,360 in tuition and fees each year.
Read full report on General Education at Delta State University
Southwest Minnesota State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools ranking. Located in the remote town of Marshall, Southwest Minnesota State University is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Southwest Minnesota State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,482 in tuition and fees each year.
Full General Education at Southwest Minnesota State University Report
Point Loma Nazarene University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools list. PLNU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of San Diego.
PLNU undergraduate students pay an average of $39,500 in tuition and fees each year.
In addition to its great value ranking, PLNU is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best General Education Schools list.
With a ranking of #16, Grand View University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general education students. Grand View University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Des Moines.
Grand View University undergraduate students pay an average of $30,954 in tuition and fees each year.
Wilson College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools ranking. Located in the small city of Chambersburg, Wilson is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Wilson are $26,200 a year.
Hamline University landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value general education programs. Located in the large city of Saint Paul, Hamline is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Hamline undergraduate students pay an average of $46,221 in tuition and fees each year.
Hamline excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best General Education Schools list.
Calvin University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools list. Located in the midsize city of Grand Rapids, Calvin is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Calvin are $38,240 a year.
Bemidji State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools ranking. Bemidji State University is a small public school located in the town of Bemidji.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Bemidji State University are $9,806 per year.
Read full report on General Education at Bemidji State University
With a ranking of #21, Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general education students. ASU - Skysong is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Scottsdale.
ASU - Skysong undergraduate students pay an average of $13,092 in tuition and fees each year.
With a ranking of #22, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general education students. Located in the distant town of Winona, SMU MN is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
SMU MN undergraduate students pay an average of $39,410 in tuition and fees each year.
Full General Education at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Report
Westminster College Pennsylvania ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools list. Located in the fringe town of New Wilmington, Westminster New Wilmington is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Westminster New Wilmington undergraduate students pay an average of $38,230 in tuition and fees each year.
In addition to its great value ranking, Westminster New Wilmington is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best General Education Schools list.
Full General Education at Westminster College Pennsylvania Report
Winona State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for general education students. It came in at #24 on the list. Winona State is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Winona.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Winona State are $16,684 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, Winona State is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best General Education Schools list.
Spring Arbor University landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value general education programs. Spring Arbor is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Spring Arbor.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Spring Arbor are $31,080 per year.
Rest of the Top Best Value General Education Schools
Additional Award Winners
This list represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Value General Education Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 352 different United States general education schools we analyzed.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | California State University - Sacramento | Sacramento, CA |
| 51 | Saint Michael’s College | Colchester, VT |
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value General Education Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 53 | University of North Alabama | Florence, AL |
| 54 | Baker University | Baldwin City, KS |
| 55 | Converse College | Spartanburg, SC |
| 56 | University of Delaware | Newark, DE |
| 56 | East Texas Baptist University | Marshall, TX |
| 58 | Bluffton University | Bluffton, OH |
| 59 | Messiah University | Mechanicsburg, PA |
| 60 | National University | La Jolla, CA |
| 60 | Notre Dame de Namur University | Belmont, CA |
| 62 | Delaware State University | Dover, DE |
| 63 | Simpson University | Redding, CA |
| 64 | Lindenwood University | Saint Charles, MO |
| 65 | Concordia University, Chicago | River Forest, IL |
| 66 | California State University - Long Beach | Long Beach, CA |
| 67 | Western Illinois University | Macomb, IL |
| 67 | Biola University | La Mirada, CA |
| 69 | California State University - Channel Islands | Camarillo, CA |
| 70 | California State Polytechnic University - Pomona | Pomona, CA |
General Education by Region
View the Best Value General Education Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More General Education Rankings
Majors Related to Education
One of 14 majors within the area of study, general education has other similar majors worth exploring.
Majors Similar to Education
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Educational Administration | 45,458 |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 34,451 |
| Special Education | 25,158 |
| Teacher Education Subject Specific | 20,616 |
| Curriculum & Instruction | 19,784 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to KOKUYO.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |
GradDegree.com provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© GradDegree.com – All Rights Reserved.