by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual looked at 21 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best General Education Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 3,895 master's degrees in general education during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The education master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for general education students working on their master's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best General Education Master's Degree Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in general education.
It's difficult to beat Azusa Pacific University if you want to pursue a master's degree in general education. Azusa Pacific is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Azusa.
Students who graduate with their master's from the education program state that they receive average early career wages of $63,794.
More information about a master’s in general education from Azusa Pacific University
It's hard to beat National University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in general education. Located in the city of San Diego, National University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the education program state that they receive average early career income of $62,683.
More information about a master’s in general education from National University
Any student who is interested in a master's degree in general education has to take a look at Point Loma Nazarene University. PLNU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of San Diego.
Master's students who receive their degree from the education program make around $61,550 in the first couple years of working.
More information about a master’s in general education from Point Loma Nazarene University
It is difficult to beat California State University - Fresno if you wish to pursue a master's degree in general education. Fresno State is a very large public university located in the large city of Fresno.
Students who graduate with their master's from the education program report average early career income of $56,649.
More information about a master’s in general education from California State University - Fresno
SDSU is a fairly large public university located in the city of San Diego.More information about a master’s in general education from San Diego State University
Located in the city of Riverside, UCR is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Master's graduates who receive their degree from the education program make around $61,108 in their early career salary.
More information about a master’s in general education from University of California - Riverside
Located in the large city of Riverside, Cal Baptist is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Master's recipients from the general education program at California Baptist University make $2,946 more than the average graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a master’s in general education from California Baptist University
Located in the suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in general education from California State University - Fullerton
CSUDH is a fairly large public university located in the city of Carson.
Master's recipients from the general education degree program at California State University - Dominguez Hills make $3,803 more than the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a master’s in general education from California State University - Dominguez Hills
Brandman is a moderately-sized public university located in the city of Irvine.
Those general education students who get their master's degree from Brandman University earn $11,657 more than the typical education student.
More information about a master’s in general education from Brandman UniversityExplore all the Best General Education Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 183 | 399 |
| Oregon | 158 | 343 |
| Nevada | 105 | 20 |
| Hawaii | 85 | 0 |
| Alaska | 52 | 26 |
One of 14 majors within the Education area of study, General Education has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Education | 3,895 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 3,062 |
| Student Counseling | 2,032 |
| Educational Administration | 1,448 |
| Special Education | 1,297 |
| Teacher Education Subject Specific | 549 |
| Instructional Media Design | 410 |
| Curriculum & Instruction | 376 |
| Educational Assessment | 281 |
| Teaching English or French | 227 |
| Other Education | 77 |
