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2024 Best General Education Schools

413 Colleges in the United States
29,389 Education Degrees Awarded
$48,787 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in general education, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #41 in the country in terms of popularity. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 413 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best General Education Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 29,389 degrees in general education during the 2021-2022 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great General Education School

Best General Education Schools The education program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for General Education rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for general education schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

General Education Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Education
Bachelor's Degrees in Education
Master's Degrees in Education
Doctor's Degrees in Education

The education 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 the Best General Education Schools. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for General Education in the United States

The schools below may not offer all types of education degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Education

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
568 Education Degrees Awarded
$78,976 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in general education has to check out Harvard University. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were approximately 568 general education students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent data year. Those general education students who get their degree from Harvard University make $30,189 more than the typical education graduate.

More information about a degree in general education from Harvard University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
683 Education Degrees Awarded
5.9% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat Johns Hopkins University if you want to pursue a degree in general education. Located in the large city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were about 683 general education students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year. Those general education students who get their degree from Johns Hopkins University earn $5,144 more than the average education grad.

More information about a degree in general education from Johns Hopkins University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
187 Education Degrees Awarded
28.3% Growth in Graduates

University of Pennsylvania is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in general education. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were about 187 general education students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available. Those general education students who get their degree from University of Pennsylvania receive $19,191 more than the standard education graduate.

More information about a degree in general education from University of Pennsylvania

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
150 Education Degrees Awarded
$55,221 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in general education has to check out University of Washington - Seattle Campus. UW Seattle is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Seattle. A Best Colleges rank of #37 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UW Seattle is a great university overall.

There were approximately 150 general education students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year. Those general education students who get their degree from University of Washington - Seattle Campus receive $6,434 more than the average education student.

More information about a degree in general education from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
19th Most Popular In TN
42.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were approximately 19 general education students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general education from Vanderbilt University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
74 Education Degrees Awarded
8.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were roughly 74 general education students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general education degree program at Stanford University get $21,772 above the typical graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general education from Stanford University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
282 Education Degrees Awarded
17.4% Growth in Graduates

UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were about 282 general education students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Those general education students who get their degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign receive $7,311 more than the typical education grad.

More information about a degree in general education from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
20th Most Popular In IL
83.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 6 general education students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general education from Northwestern University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
59 Education Degrees Awarded
1.7% Growth in Graduates

Claremont Graduate University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Claremont. This university ranks 27th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 59 general education students who graduated with this degree at Claremont Graduate University in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general education degree program at Claremont Graduate University get $53,306 more than the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general education from Claremont Graduate University

10
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In RI
37 Education Degrees Awarded

Brown is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Providence. A Best Colleges rank of #21 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Brown is a great university overall.

There were roughly 37 general education students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general education from Brown University

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
269 Education Degrees Awarded
4.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 42 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were roughly 269 general education students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general education program at Purdue University - Main Campus get $21,963 more than the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general education from Purdue University - Main Campus

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
187 Education Degrees Awarded
15.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 187 general education students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general education degree program at University of Virginia - Main Campus make $20,609 above the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general education from University of Virginia - Main Campus

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
248 Education Degrees Awarded
10.5% Growth in Graduates

UCLA is a very large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were about 248 general education students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general education major at University of California - Los Angeles make $11,507 more than the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general education from University of California - Los Angeles

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
98 Education Degrees Awarded
54.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were roughly 98 general education students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. General Education degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley earn a boost of around $37,062 over the typical income of general education majors.

More information about a degree in general education from University of California - Berkeley

15
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
251 Education Degrees Awarded
$38,782 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 15th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 251 general education students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the education program report average early career wages of $38,782.

More information about a degree in general education from University of California - Irvine

16
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
151 Education Degrees Awarded
$44,345 Median Starting Salary

Michigan State is a very large public university located in the city of East Lansing. This university ranks 2nd out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 151 general education students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the education program make around $44,345 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in general education from Michigan State University

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
121 Education Degrees Awarded
$54,702 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 8th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 121 general education students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general education major at University of California - San Diego get $5,915 above the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general education from University of California - San Diego

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In GA
63 Education Degrees Awarded

UGA is a very large public university located in the city of Athens. This university ranks 3rd out of 68 colleges for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were roughly 63 general education students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general education from University of Georgia

19
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In OR
184 Education Degrees Awarded

Located in the town of Monmouth, Western Oregon State College is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 6th out of 30 schools for overall quality in the state of Oregon.

There were roughly 184 general education students who graduated with this degree at Western Oregon State College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general education from Western Oregon University

20
NUS Florida crest
Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
318 Education Degrees Awarded
6.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Fort Lauderdale, NUS Florida is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 77 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were roughly 318 general education students who graduated with this degree at NUS Florida in the most recent year we have data available. Those general education students who get their degree from Nova Southeastern University earn $21,546 more than the typical education graduate.

More information about a degree in general education from Nova Southeastern University

21
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In FL
56 Education Degrees Awarded

UF is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Gainesville. This university ranks 1st out of 77 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were approximately 56 general education students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general education from University of Florida

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In CA
245 Education Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 22nd out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 245 general education students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general education from San Diego State University

23
National University crest
National University
San Diego, CA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
944 Education Degrees Awarded
$58,901 Median Starting Salary

National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of San Diego. This university ranks 33rd out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 944 general education students who graduated with this degree at National University in the most recent year we have data available. General Education degree recipients from National University receive an earnings boost of around $10,114 above the average earnings of general education majors.

More information about a degree in general education from National University

23
24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
46 Education Degrees Awarded
58.7% Growth in Graduates

Iowa State is a very large public university located in the small city of Ames. This university ranks 1st out of 40 schools for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were approximately 46 general education students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the education program make about $45,872 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in general education from Iowa State University

Rest of the Top Best General Education Schools

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27
28
29
30
31
32

33

34
Hamline crest
Hamline University
Saint Paul, MN
35
36
37
37
Monmouth crest
Monmouth University
West Long Branch, NJ
38
39
40

41

42
43
44
Lesley crest
Lesley University
Cambridge, MA
45
46
Pacific crest
Pacific University
Forest Grove, OR
47
Niagara crest
Niagara University
Niagara University, NY
48
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN
49

Additional Award Winners

This section shows the rest of the colleges awarded a Best General Education Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 413 different United States general education schools we analyzed.

RankCollegeLocation
50James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, VA
51Eastern Washington UniversityCheney, WA
52University of Hawaii at ManoaHonolulu, HI
53California State University - FresnoFresno, CA
54California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
55San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA
56University of San DiegoSan Diego, CA
57Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY
58Point Loma Nazarene UniversitySan Diego, CA
59University of Missouri - ColumbiaColumbia, MO
60Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX
61Augustana UniversitySioux Falls, SD
65Boston UniversityBoston, MA

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 General Education Schools award.

RankCollegeLocation
62Gustavus Adolphus CollegeSaint Peter, MN
63Winona State UniversityWinona, MN
64Gonzaga UniversitySpokane, WA
65Montclair State UniversityMontclair, NJ
66University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC
67Saint Mary’s University of MinnesotaWinona, MN
68Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR
69California State University - Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
70Notre Dame of Maryland UniversityBaltimore, MD
71Denison UniversityGranville, OH
72University of Maryland - Baltimore CountyBaltimore, MD
73University of WyomingLaramie, WY
74Southwestern UniversityGeorgetown, TX
75The University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN
76University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI
77Concordia College at MoorheadMoorhead, MN
78Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA
79The University of Texas at San AntonioSan Antonio, TX
80Brandeis UniversityWaltham, MA
81University of VermontBurlington, VT
82Chapman UniversityOrange, CA

General Education by Region

View the Best General Education Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

One of 14 majors within the Education area of study, General Education has other similar majors worth exploring.

Education Concentrations

MajorAnnual Graduates
General Education29,389

View All Education Concentrations >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific110,770
Educational Administration46,975
Teacher Education Subject Specific42,343
Special Education35,973
Curriculum & Instruction19,217
Student Counseling14,506
Instructional Media Design9,224
Teaching English or French5,525
Other Education4,887
Educational Assessment3,853

View All Education Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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