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2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k

295 Ranked Colleges
18,793 Degrees Awarded
$30,800 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Education Schools for a Master's For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

General Education is the 35th most popular major in the country with 29,936 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, general education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $47,138 and had an average of $29,674 in loans still to pay off.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 18,793 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 295 colleges that offered a degree 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k

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

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

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California

Out of the 295 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 81 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Stanford has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at Stanford

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 295 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #2 spot on the list. Harvard is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 596 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard also made our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard University are $50,654, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Education at Harvard

#3

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 295 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 157 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UPenn are $41,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at University of Pennsylvania

#4

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland

Out of the 295 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s 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 618 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins are $59,425, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at Johns Hopkins University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 179 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUDH are $17,884, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full CSUDH General Education Report

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 119 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.

U-M also took the #11 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor General Education Report

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 108 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State LA are $17,723, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Cal State LA General Education Report

California State University - Fresno came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 134 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Fresno State is also in the top of our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Fresno State are $17,581, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at Fresno State

Top 25% in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 274 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fullerton are $17,892, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at California State University - Fullerton

#10

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 186 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus General Education Report

#11

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 20 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill excels when it comes to education quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248.

Full UNC Chapel Hill General Education Report

#12

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#8 in overall quality

Tufts University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Medford, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 9 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

Tufts also made our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. Average graduate tuition and fees at Tufts are $55,168, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at Tufts University

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 169 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UIUC General Education Report

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 151 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Bakersfield are $18,437, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full California State University - Bakersfield General Education Report

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 116 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Stan State are $18,540.

Read more about General Education at California State University - Stanislaus

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 103 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at CSULB are $17,784, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full California State University - Long Beach General Education Report

#17

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 176 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCLA has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at UCLA

#18

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 133 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Virginia are $32,394, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Education at University of Virginia

#19

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 175 students in 2019-2020.

UCR also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Riverside are $28,686.

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

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 74 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUN are $17,955, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full CSUN General Education Report

#24 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 20 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k list, UMN Duluth has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Minnesota - Duluth are $28,606, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at UMN Duluth

#22

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming

University of Wyoming landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Wyoming is located in Laramie, Wyoming and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 68 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, UW is in the top on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wyoming are $16,615, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Wyoming General Education Report

#23

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #23, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #0 rank in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at IU Bloomington are $33,338.

Read more about General Education at IU Bloomington

#24

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

University of California - Berkeley landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 14 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UC Berkeley General Education Report

#25 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #25 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Irvine are $28,456, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at University of California - Irvine

Rest of the Best 45 in Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 45 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#28

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
#30

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#32

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
#33

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#35

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington
#36

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#37

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#39

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#40

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Fairbanks, Alaska
#41

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
#42

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#43

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#44

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky
#45

Minot State University

Minot, North Dakota

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to KOKUYO.

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