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2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

420 Ranked Colleges
29,810 Degrees Awarded
Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 For Those Making $48-$75k” 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.

This year’s “Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 420 colleges that offered a degree in general education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general education program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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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 For Those Making $48-$75k” 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 $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for general education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Education (Income $48-$75k)

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 591 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.

Harvard also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,669 for general education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Harvard.

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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on General Education at Harvard

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 68 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford also made our “Best General Education Schools” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $7,081 for general education students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at Stanford

3
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Out of the 420 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 643 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general education students whose families make $48-$75k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins is $8,457 for general education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 Johns Hopkins University

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 150 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,393 for general education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Education at UW Seattle

5
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 258 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $8,450 for general education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Purdue General Education Report

6
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 30 degrees to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.

Brown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Brown is $10,219 for General Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, 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.

Full Brown University General Education Report

7
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 134 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn also made our “Best General Education Schools” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $12,020 for general education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UPenn General Education Report

8
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

With a ranking of #8, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 11 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also took the #21 spot in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt University is $7,694 for General Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 more about General Education at Vanderbilt University

9
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

With a ranking of #9, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 38 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UF 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 $8,394 for general education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UF.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at University of Florida

10

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 129 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $5,700 for General Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at Cal State LA

11

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 124 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best General Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $10,481 for general education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full U-M General Education Report

12

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 233 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also made our “Best General Education Schools” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $11,505 for general education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign General Education Report

13

California State University - Fresno came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general education degrees to 121 students 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. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $8,030 for general education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%.

Full California State University - Fresno General Education Report

14

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. 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 $48-$75k list, UCLA has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $12,644 for General Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles General Education Report

15
Berea crest
Berea College
Berea, Kentucky

Berea College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Berea College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Berea, Kentucky. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Berea is $6,551 for general education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 Berea College

16

With a ranking of #16, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 45 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general education students whose families make $48-$75k 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 $13,423 for general education students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Berkeley General Education Report

17

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $9,854 for general education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUSB.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Education at CSUSB

18
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general education degrees to 159 students in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $16,019 for General Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Virginia General Education Report

19

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 255 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $9,017 for general education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 Cal State Fullerton

20

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large public school situated in Bakersfield, California. It awarded 136 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,102 for General Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUB.

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

21

University of California - Irvine landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general education degrees to 368 students in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Education Schools” list. It costs about $13,275 for General Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Irvine.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about General Education at UC Irvine

22

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. 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.

UNC Chapel Hill also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Education Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $11,619 for General Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

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

23

With a ranking of #23, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general education degrees to 145 students 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. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $12,602 for general education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on General Education at Sac State

24

University of Central Florida came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCF is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 82 ’s 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 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $9,426 for general education students whose families make $48-$75k 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.

Full UCF General Education Report

25
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Tufts University is a fairly large school located in Medford, Massachusetts that handed out 19 ’s general education degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general education students whose families make $48-$75k list, Tufts has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best General Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Tufts University is $19,827 for General Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at Tufts University

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

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
28
29
UW crest
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
30
31
UMSL crest
University of Missouri - St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri
32
33
34
35
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
36
FGCU crest
Florida Gulf Coast University
Fort Myers, Florida
37
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware
38
Marshall University crest
Marshall University
Huntington, West Virginia
39
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina
40
Beloit crest
Beloit College
Beloit, Wisconsin
41
42
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
43
44
EWU crest
Eastern Washington University
Cheney, Washington
45
Heritage University crest
Heritage University
Toppenish, Washington
46
47
48
Pima County Community College District crest
Pima Community College
Tucson, Arizona
49
Bob Jones University crest
Bob Jones University
Greenville, South Carolina
50
GVSU crest
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, Michigan

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value General Education Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

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

Rank College Location
51 Iowa State University Ames, IA
52 University of Michigan - Dearborn Dearborn, MI
53 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
54 Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN
55 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
56 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
57 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
58 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
59 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN
60 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
61 Minot State University Minot, ND
62 Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA
63 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK
64 Winona State University Winona, MN

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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