College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

422 Ranked Colleges
29,810 Degrees Awarded
$5,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

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

This year’s “Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 422 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general education programs that also have a lower cost than 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

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More General Education Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Education (Income $30-$48k)

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 422 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 591 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.

Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best General Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Harvard University is $1,396 for general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 Harvard

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 422 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #2 spot on the list. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 68 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Education Schools” list. It costs about $1,581 for General Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stanford.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Stanford General Education Report

3
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 134 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $1,938 for General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 University of Pennsylvania

4
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Out of the 422 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #4 spot on the list. Johns Hopkins is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 643 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins University is $4,859 for General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on General Education at Johns Hopkins

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 150 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,399 for general education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW Seattle.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 UW Seattle

6
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

With a ranking of #6, Brown University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Brown is located in Providence, Rhode Island and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.

Brown also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brown University is $2,842 for General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. 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.

Read more about General Education at Brown University

7
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #7, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 258 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Education Schools” list. It costs about $5,853 for general education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 Purdue University - Main Campus

8
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Florida is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 38 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UF is also in the top of our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best General Education Schools” list. It costs about $2,857 for general education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UF.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Education at University of Florida

9

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 129 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,701 for general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on General Education at California State University - Los Angeles

10

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general education degrees to 233 students in 2020-2021.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,036 for General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Education at UIUC

11

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 124 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $5,670 for General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 1.3% 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 full report on General Education at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

12
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 11 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also made our “Best General Education Schools” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt University is $4,652 for General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about General Education at Vanderbilt University

13

California State University - Fresno ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 121 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Fresno State also did well on our “Best General Education Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $4,655 for General Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fresno State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at California State University - Fresno

14
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Medford, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general education degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

Tufts also took the #20 spot in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,987 for general education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Tufts University.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at Tufts University

15

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general education degrees to 222 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general education students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCLA has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,891 for General Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at University of California - Los Angeles

16

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general education degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNC Chapel Hill is also in the top of our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $5,729 for general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

17

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 45 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general education students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $9,999 for General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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%.

Read full report on General Education at University of California - Berkeley

18

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 136 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $6,046 for general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full CSUB General Education Report

19

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 46 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,613 for general education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on General Education at California State University - San Bernardino

20

California State University - Fullerton came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general education degrees to 255 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,821 for general education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at California State University - Fullerton

21

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school handed out 141 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,329 for general education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 CSUDH General Education Report

22

University of California - San Diego landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general education degrees to 127 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $11,176 for general education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 University of California - San Diego General Education Report

23

With a ranking of #23, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 145 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State excels when it comes to general education quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $9,055 for general education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Sac State.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Sac State

24

University of California - Irvine came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 368 degrees to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general education students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $8,449 for General Education students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Irvine General Education Report

25

University of Central Florida ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Central Florida is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 82 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UCF is in the top on our “Best General Education Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $6,256 for general education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCF.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at University of Central Florida

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

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

26
27
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
28
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina
29
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
30
31
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
32
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana
33
FGCU crest
Florida Gulf Coast University
Fort Myers, Florida
34
35
36
37
UW crest
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
38
Beloit crest
Beloit College
Beloit, Wisconsin
39
EWU crest
Eastern Washington University
Cheney, Washington
40
41
Berea crest
Berea College
Berea, Kentucky
42
43
44
45
UMSL crest
University of Missouri - St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri
46
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
47
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware
48
Marshall University crest
Marshall University
Huntington, West Virginia
49
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
52 Pima Community College Tucson, AZ
53 Iowa State University Ames, IA
54 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
55 Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA
56 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
57 Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN
58 University of Michigan - Dearborn Dearborn, MI
59 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
60 Minot State University Minot, ND
61 Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Winona, MN
62 Niagara University Niagara University, NY
63 University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
64 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options