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2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid

47 Ranked Colleges
5,842 Degrees Awarded
$22,500 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Education Schools for a Master's in California For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 29,936 people earned their degree in general education, making the major the 35th most popular in the United States. 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.

Across California, there were 7,838 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,089 and $30,845 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 5,842 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $60,281 and $50,119 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 47 colleges that offer 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.

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 Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 in California For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for General Education in California (With Aid)

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 179 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Dominguez Hills are $17,884, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at CSUDH

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 108 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State LA are $17,723, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Cal State LA General Education Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 134 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Fresno State are $17,581, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at Fresno State

#20 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 274 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree education students with aid list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State Fullerton are $17,892.

Read full report on General Education at Cal State Fullerton

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Bakersfield. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid. CSUB is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 151 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUB are $18,437, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full California State University - Bakersfield General Education Report

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 116 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Stanislaus are $18,540, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on General Education at Stan State

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 103 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Long Beach are $17,784, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full CSULB General Education Report

#8

Stanford University

Stanford, California

Stanford University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 81 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” 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

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 74 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Northridge are $17,955, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full CSUN General Education Report

#10

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California

University of California - Riverside landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 175 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCR are $28,686, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#11

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid 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 california master’s degree education students with aid list, UCLA has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Education at University of California - Los Angeles

California State University - Sacramento landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 74 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #22 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Sac State are $18,356, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at Sac State

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #0 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Irvine are $28,456.

Full UC Irvine General Education Report

California State University - San Marcos landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Marcos, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUSM are $18,661, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on General Education at California State University - San Marcos

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona are $18,377, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Education at Cal Poly Pomona

University of California - San Diego came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 61 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also made our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - San Diego are $28,631, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at UCSD

#17

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#23 in overall quality

San Jose State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 227 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at San Jose State University are $18,790.

Full San Jose State University General Education Report

#18

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 149 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Santa Barbara are $28,670, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Education at University of California - Santa Barbara

#19

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#17 in overall quality

San Diego State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 153 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree education students with aid list, SDSU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at SDSU are $18,658, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full SDSU General Education Report

#20

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 60 students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - San Bernardino are $17,936.

Full CSUSB General Education Report

University of California - Davis ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Davis, California, this large public school awarded 135 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Davis are $28,700, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UC Davis General Education Report

California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Seaside, California, and it awarded 55 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUMB are $18,081, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Education at California State University - Monterey Bay

California State University - East Bay landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Hayward, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State East Bay are $17,828, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full California State University - East Bay General Education Report

#24

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

University of California - Berkeley came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 14 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Berkeley are $29,347, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UC Berkeley General Education Report

#25

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #25, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 126 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at SFSU are $17,944, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Education at San Francisco State University

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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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