2023 Best Value Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
79
Ranked Colleges
4,037
Degrees Awarded
$8,500
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
General Education is the 31st most popular major in the country with 29,810 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across the Southeast region, there were 4,037 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 79 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general education programs, but they also 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank General Education Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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.
Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UF is $65 for southeast region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 more about General Education at University of Florida
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 11 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $3,176 for southeast region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on General Education at Vanderbilt University
Out of the 79 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #3 spot on the list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 22 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $3,753 for Southeast Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read full report on General Education at UNC Chapel Hill
Out of the 79 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school awarded 159 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $12,476 for southeast region general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at University of Virginia - Main Campus
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Carolina State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. North Carolina State University is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 21 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
NC State also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $7,283 for southeast region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.
Full North Carolina State University General Education Report
University of Georgia ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Georgia is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UGA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $8,303 for southeast region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full UGA General Education Report
University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. University of Central Florida is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 82 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
UCF also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $4,468 for southeast region general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCF.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about General Education at University of Central Florida
With a ranking of #8, Florida Atlantic University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida Atlantic University is a large public school situated in Boca Raton, Florida. It awarded 61 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region general education students whose families make $0-$30k list, FAU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $6,726 for southeast region general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida Atlantic University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at FAU
Florida Gulf Coast University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. FGCU is a public institution located in Fort Myers, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 49 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
FGCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Florida Gulf Coast University is $6,762 for Southeast Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Florida Gulf Coast University
University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is located in Tampa, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $4,176 for Southeast Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about General Education at USF Tampa
Marshall University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Marshall University is a fairly large public school situated in Huntington, West Virginia. It awarded 68 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Marshall University is $5,377 for southeast region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on General Education at Marshall University
Berea College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Berea, Kentucky, and it awarded 6 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Berea College is $4,531 for Southeast Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about General Education at Berea
Converse College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Converse is a private not-for-profit institution located in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $20,672 for southeast region general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Converse.
Full Converse General Education Report
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UT Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 35 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Knoxville also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is $10,433 for Southeast Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at UT Knoxville
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is a large school located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana that handed out 77 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Louisiana State University, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Louisiana State University is $11,318 for Southeast Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at Louisiana State University
Bob Jones University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bob Jones University is a small school located in Greenville, South Carolina that handed out 19 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bob Jones University, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bob Jones University is $10,825 for Southeast Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Bob Jones University General Education Report
With a ranking of #17, Northern Kentucky University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Highland Heights, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general education degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend NKU is $4,632 for Southeast Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on General Education at Northern Kentucky University
West Virginia University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. West Virginia University is a large school located in Morgantown, West Virginia that handed out 77 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
WVU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best General Education Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for West Virginia University is $10,014 for Southeast Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full West Virginia University General Education Report
With a ranking of #19, James Madison University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. James Madison University is a public institution located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 295 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
JMU also made our “Best General Education Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $14,288 for southeast region general education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend James Madison University.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Education at James Madison University
With a ranking of #20, University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of South Carolina - Columbia is a public institution located in Columbia, South Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region general education students whose families make $0-$30k list, UofSC has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of South Carolina - Columbia is $12,130 for Southeast Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on General Education at University of South Carolina - Columbia
With a ranking of #21, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Perkinston, Mississippi, this medium-sized public school awarded 110 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is $6,996 for Southeast Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College General Education Report
Augusta University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Augusta, Georgia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general education degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $9,740 for Southeast Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Augusta University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Education at Augusta University
Clemson University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Clemson is a large public school situated in Clemson, South Carolina. It awarded 153 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region general education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Clemson has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Clemson University is $13,744 for Southeast Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.
Full Clemson General Education Report
University of Mississippi landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ole Miss is a public institution located in University, Mississippi. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Mississippi is $7,764 for southeast region general education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read full report on General Education at Ole Miss
University of North Carolina at Wilmington landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Wilmington, North Carolina, and it awarded 70 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.
UNCW also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $11,710 for Southeast Region General Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNCW.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UNCW General Education Report
