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2023 Best Graduate Certificate Schools

773 Schools Ranked
$23,273 Avg Student Debt

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. Or you may find the programs at a trade school or bootcamp to be a better alternative for you.

The Best Graduate Certificate Schools ranking is one of many tools that Grad Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 773 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best graduate certificate programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

Top Graduate Certificate Schools in the United States

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

Fielding Graduate University

Santa Barbara, California

Our analysis found Fielding Graduate University to be the best school for students who want to pursue a graduate certificate in the United States.

Fielding does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 97% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

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#2

Presidio Graduate School

San Francisco, California
$31,920 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Presidio Graduate School. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Graduate Certificate Schools list.

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#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
$56,567 Average Tuition & Fees
$21,679 Avg Student Debt

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Northwestern University is a great place for students working on their graduate certificate.

Graduate Certificate recipients from Northwestern accumulate an average of $21,679 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.

Online graduate courses are available at Northwestern, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 2% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Northwestern University

#4

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California
$18,093 Avg Student Debt

The excellent graduate certificate programs at Santa Clara University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in the United States.

On average, graduate certificate students take out $18,093 in loans while pursuing their degree.

SCU does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 10% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

#5

Lebanon Valley College

Annville, Pennsylvania
$51,610 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 773 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Lebanon Valley College landed the # 5 spot on the list.

LVC does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 81% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Lebanon Valley College

#6

Stephens College

Columbia, Missouri
$9,230 Average Tuition & Fees

Stephens College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate programs.

Stephens does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 37% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Stephens College

#7

Keck Graduate Institute

Claremont, California
$24,498 Avg Student Debt

Keck Graduate Institute landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate programs.

On average, graduate certificate students take out $24,498 in loans while pursuing their degree.

One thing to take note of is that KGI does offer online graduate classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 4% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Keck Graduate Institute

$17,754 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Graduate Certificate Schools list.

UW Seattle does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 7% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Report

#9

Michigan Technological University

Houghton, Michigan
$22,981 Average Tuition & Fees

Michigan Technological University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Graduate Certificate Schools ranking.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Michigan Tech. During the 2019-2020 year, about 30% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Michigan Technological University

#10

Claremont Graduate University

Claremont, California
$36,380 Average Tuition & Fees

Claremont Graduate University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #10 on the list.

Claremont Graduate University does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 67% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Claremont Graduate University

#11

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
$20,906 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate programs.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at University of Virginia. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 75% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#12

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
$42,932 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #12, University of Pennsylvania did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their graduate certificate.

One thing to take note of is that UPenn does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In fact, around 74% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#13

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
$63,936 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Chicago ranked #13 on this year’s Best Graduate Certificate Schools list.

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#14

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
$52,170 Average Tuition & Fees
$19,755 Avg Student Debt

Harvard University landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate programs.

By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $19,755 in student loans.

Harvard does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 96% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Harvard University

Linfield University - Online and Continuing Education landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate programs.

Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Linfield OCE. Every graduate student at the school took at least one class online.

Read full report on Linfield University - Online and Continuing Education

#16

Stanford University

Stanford, California
$55,011 Average Tuition & Fees

Stanford University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #16 on the list.

Stanford does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 10% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full Stanford University Report

#17

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
$59,141 Average Tuition & Fees
$17,440 Avg Student Debt

Duke University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #17 on the list.

Graduate Certificate recipients from Duke accumulate an average of $17,440 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.

One thing to take note of is that Duke does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 2% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Duke University

#18

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #18, Elizabethtown College did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their graduate certificate.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Etown. In 2019-2020 about 72% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on Elizabethtown College

#19

The College of New Jersey

Ewing, New Jersey
$15,031 Average Tuition & Fees

The College of New Jersey landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate programs.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at TCNJ. In 2019-2020 about 99% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full The College of New Jersey Report

#20

Wisconsin Lutheran College

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Wisconsin Lutheran College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #20 on the list.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at WLC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 75% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#21

Villanova University

Villanova, Pennsylvania
$21,199 Average Tuition & Fees

Villanova University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Graduate Certificate Schools list.

Villanova does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 89% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Villanova University

#22

Southwestern College

Winfield, Kansas
$12,768 Average Tuition & Fees

Southwestern College landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate programs.

SC does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 84% took at least some of their classes online.

Full Southwestern College Report

#23

Seattle Pacific University

Seattle, Washington

Seattle Pacific University landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate programs.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at SPU. During the 2019-2020 year, about 83% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Seattle Pacific University

#24

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
$16,522 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #24, Virginia Tech did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their graduate certificate.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Virginia Tech. In fact, around 63% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Virginia Tech

#25

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
$55,216 Average Tuition & Fees

Tufts University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Graduate Certificate Schools ranking.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Tufts does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 88% took at least some of their classes online.

Full Tufts University Report

Rest of the Top 50 Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the United States

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

#26

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#27

California State University - San Marcos

San Marcos, California
#28

University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, Nebraska
#29

University of St Thomas Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#31

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#32

Valley City State University

Valley City, North Dakota
#33

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia
#34

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#35

Saint Joseph's University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#36

Hodges University

Naples, Florida
#37

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#38

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, Massachusetts
#40

The College of Saint Rose

Albany, New York
#41

Brandman University

Irvine, California
#42

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#43

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, Wisconsin
#44

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#45

University of Scranton

Scranton, Pennsylvania
#46

Hood College

Frederick, Maryland
#47

Northwestern College

Orange City, Iowa
#48

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona
#50

Saint Mary's College of California

Moraga, California

Rest of the Top 15% Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the United States

To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:

Rank School Location
51 Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA
52 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI
53 Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA
54 Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, WI
55 Bethel University Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
56 Maryville University of Saint Louis Saint Louis, MO
57 Augusta University Augusta, GA
58 Washington State University Pullman, WA
59 Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO
60 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
61 Auburn University Auburn, AL
62 University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA
63 Crown College Saint Bonifacius, MN
64 Ball State University Muncie, IN
65 Saint Ambrose University Davenport, IA
66 University of St Francis Joliet, IL
67 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
68 George Washington University Washington, DC
69 St Catherine University Saint Paul, MN
70 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
71 Mount Marty University Yankton, SD
72 Winona State University Winona, MN
73 Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO
74 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
75 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
76 Utah State University Logan, UT
77 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
78 Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, IL
79 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA
80 Mayville State University Mayville, ND
81 St. Mary’s University San Antonio, TX
82 Bentley University Waltham, MA
83 Cedarville University Cedarville, OH
84 University of Mary Bismarck, ND
85 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
86 University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD
87 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
88 Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, NJ
89 Boston University Boston, MA
90 Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY
91 Midland University Fremont, NE
92 Hamline University Saint Paul, MN
93 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
94 Piedmont College Demorest, GA
95 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
96 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
97 Clemson University Clemson, SC
98 Eastern Mennonite University Harrisonburg, VA
99 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
100 Minnesota State University - Moorhead Moorhead, MN
101 Andrews University Berrien Springs, MI
102 Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY
103 American Public University System Charles Town, WV
104 Emory University Atlanta, GA
105 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
106 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
107 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
108 Creighton University Omaha, NE
109 Bradley University Peoria, IL
110 Heritage University Toppenish, WA
111 Georgia College & State University Milledgeville, GA
112 Elmhurst University Elmhurst, IL
113 Colorado State University - Global Campus Greenwood Village, CO
114 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
115 University of Georgia Athens, GA
116 Golden Gate University - San Francisco San Francisco, CA

Honorable Mentions

These schools also performed well in our best schools ranking:

Rank School Location
117 Adrian College Adrian, MI
118 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
119 Viterbo University La Crosse, WI
120 Bemidji State University Bemidji, MN
121 Manhattan College Riverdale, NY
122 Kansas State University Manhattan, KS
123 McDaniel College Westminster, MD
124 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
125 Wayne State College Wayne, NE
126 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
127 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
128 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
129 DeSales University Center Valley, PA
130 University of Redlands Redlands, CA
131 Wagner College Staten Island, NY
132 University of Maryland - Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
133 The College of Saint Scholastica Duluth, MN
134 Norwich University Northfield, VT
135 National University La Jolla, CA
136 Furman University Greenville, SC
137 Concordia University, Wisconsin Mequon, WI
138 Whitworth University Spokane, WA
139 Excelsior College Albany, NY
140 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
141 Dakota State University Madison, SD
142 Rider University Lawrenceville, NJ
143 Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA
144 Columbia Southern University Orange Beach, AL
145 Cedar Crest College Allentown, PA
146 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
147 Herzing University - Madison Madison, WI
148 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
149 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
150 New York University New York, NY
151 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
152 Baker University Baldwin City, KS
153 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
154 Valparaiso University Valparaiso, IN
155 University of Dayton Dayton, OH

Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

References

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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%.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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