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2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

28 Ranked Colleges
1,014 Degrees Awarded
$17,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

General Education is the 31st most popular major in the country with 29,810 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across Pennsylvania, there were 1,014 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 28 colleges that offer a degree in general education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general education programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank General Education Schools

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania general education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in Pennsylvania

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. UPenn is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 134 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.

UPenn also made our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $580 for pennsylvania general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full UPenn General Education Report

2
LCCC crest
Lehigh Carbon Community College
Schnecksville, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lehigh Carbon Community College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. Lehigh Carbon Community College is a public institution located in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Lehigh Carbon Community College is $4,307 for Pennsylvania General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Education at Lehigh Carbon Community College

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pitt is a large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 174 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

Pitt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pitt is $15,084 for Pennsylvania General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Education at Pitt

4
Holy Family crest
Holy Family University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Holy Family University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Holy Family University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 34 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Holy Family, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $11,657 for pennsylvania general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Holy Family University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at Holy Family

5
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Temple University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Temple University is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 15 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania general education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Temple has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Temple is $18,173 for pennsylvania general education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 Education at Temple

6
Westminster New Wilmington crest
Westminster College Pennsylvania
New Wilmington, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #6, Westminster College Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Westminster New Wilmington is a small school located in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania that handed out 6 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Westminster New Wilmington, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Westminster College Pennsylvania is $15,692 for pennsylvania general education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at Westminster New Wilmington

7
Juniata crest
Juniata College
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania

Juniata College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Juniata is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. It awarded 4 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Juniata, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $15,796 for Pennsylvania General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Juniata.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Juniata College General Education Report

8
YCP crest
York College of Pennsylvania
York, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #8, York College of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in York, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 36 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

YCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for York College of Pennsylvania is $17,617 for pennsylvania general education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Education at YCP

9
Cal U crest
California University of Pennsylvania
California, Pennsylvania

California University of Pennsylvania landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in California, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school awarded 63 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.

Cal U also made our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Cal U is $15,854 for pennsylvania general education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Education at California University of Pennsylvania

10
Cabrini University crest
Cabrini University
Radnor, Pennsylvania

Cabrini University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cabrini University is a small school located in Radnor, Pennsylvania that handed out 46 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania general education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cabrini University has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cabrini University is $16,581 for pennsylvania general education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Cabrini University General Education Report

11
Millersville crest
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Millersville, Pennsylvania

Millersville University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Millersville University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in Millersville, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Millersville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $17,224 for Pennsylvania General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Millersville.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at Millersville University of Pennsylvania

12
Messiah crest
Messiah University
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

Messiah University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general education degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Messiah, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Messiah University is $18,751 for pennsylvania general education students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at Messiah

13
Wilson crest
Wilson College
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

Wilson College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wilson College is a small school located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 62 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania general education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wilson has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wilson College is $17,092 for pennsylvania general education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 Education at Wilson College

14
La Salle crest
La Salle University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #14, La Salle University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. La Salle is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 128 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

La Salle also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend La Salle is $24,098 for pennsylvania general education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at La Salle

15
Susquehanna crest
Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

Susquehanna University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Susquehanna University is a small school located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania that handed out 7 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

Susquehanna also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $17,040 for pennsylvania general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Susquehanna.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Education at Susquehanna

16
Cedar Crest crest
Cedar Crest College
Allentown, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #16, Cedar Crest College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Allentown, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general education degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.

Cedar Crest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $18,652 for Pennsylvania General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cedar Crest.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cedar Crest General Education Report

17
Duquesne crest
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Duquesne University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general education degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

Duquesne also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $20,515 for Pennsylvania General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Duquesne University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.

Full Duquesne General Education Report

18
Mercyhurst crest
Mercyhurst University
Erie, Pennsylvania

Mercyhurst University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Erie, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general education degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

Mercyhurst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Mercyhurst is $23,922 for Pennsylvania General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Education at Mercyhurst University

19
Saint Francis crest
Saint Francis University
Loretto, Pennsylvania

Saint Francis University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saint Francis University is located in Loretto, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania general education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Saint Francis has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Francis University is $21,230 for Pennsylvania General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Education at Saint Francis University

20
Gwynedd - Mercy crest
Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania

Gwynedd Mercy University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Gwynedd Mercy University is a small school located in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania that handed out 10 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

Gwynedd - Mercy also took the #24 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Gwynedd - Mercy is $23,600 for Pennsylvania General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at Gwynedd - Mercy

21
St. Joe's crest
Saint Joseph's University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #21, Saint Joseph’s University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.

St. Joe’s also made our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for St. Joe’s is $24,313 for pennsylvania general education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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 89%.

Read more about General Education at Saint Joseph’s University

22
Neumann crest
Neumann University
Aston, Pennsylvania

Neumann University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. This small school is located in Aston, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 10 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Neumann, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Neumann is $24,094 for pennsylvania general education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Neumann University General Education Report

23
Arcadia crest
Arcadia University
Glenside, Pennsylvania

Arcadia University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Arcadia University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Glenside, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Arcadia also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $23,979 for Pennsylvania General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Arcadia University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Education at Arcadia University

24
Rosemont crest
Rosemont College
Rosemont, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #24, Rosemont College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rosemont, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general education degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $15,780 for pennsylvania general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rosemont.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 Education at Rosemont College

25
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Drexel University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.

Drexel also took the #17 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Drexel is $24,508 for pennsylvania general education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at Drexel

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