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2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid

1,053 Ranked Colleges
327,871 Degrees Awarded
$6,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Education Schools 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. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 327,871 education students received their degree, making the major the 4th most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $46,202 and had an average of $24,437 in loans still to pay off.

For this year’s “Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 1,053 colleges that offer a degree in education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent education programs, but they also cost less that 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 education program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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The education school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid”.

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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for education students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Education (With Aid)

1
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid. Hunter College is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 1,183 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Hunter is in the top on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Hunter College is $2,158 for education students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at Hunter

2
CCNY crest
The City College of New York
New York, New York

Out of the 1,053 schools in the Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, The City College of New York landed the #2 spot on the list. The City College of New York is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 645 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, CCNY is also in the top of our “Best Education Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for The City College of New York is $2,805 for education students with aid.

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 more about Education at The City College of New York

3
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

Out of the 1,053 schools in the Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Brooklyn College landed the #3 spot on the list. Brooklyn College is a public institution located in Brooklyn, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 837 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Brooklyn College is in the top on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $3,067 for Education students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Brooklyn College

4
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lehman College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Lehman is a fairly large school located in Bronx, New York that handed out 505 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Lehman also did well on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Education Schools” list. It costs about $2,614 for Education students with aid per year to attend Lehman.

Read full report on Education at Lehman

5
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Queens College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid. QC is a fairly large school located in Queens, New York that handed out 909 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, QC is in the top on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $3,469 for education students with aid per year to attend Queens College.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Queens College

6

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 676 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

UW Seattle also took the #9 spot in our “Best Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $12,017 for Education students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UW Seattle Education Report

7

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 829 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $3,302 for Education students with aid.

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 Education at Cal State LA

8
South Texas College crest
South Texas College
McAllen, Texas

With a ranking of #8, South Texas College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid list. South Texas College is a large public school situated in McAllen, Texas. It awarded 352 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $1,504 for education students with aid per year to attend South Texas College.

Read more about Education at South Texas College

9
CNM crest
Central New Mexico Community College
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Central New Mexico Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid list. CNM is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 334 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for CNM is $3,322 for education students with aid.

Read more about Education at CNM

10
WGU crest
Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, Utah

Western Governors University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Western Governors University is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12,503 ’s education degrees to qualified students.

WGU also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Education Schools” list. It costs about $9,969 for Education students with aid per year to attend Western Governors University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Western Governors University Education Report

11
Baruch crest
Baruch College
New York, New York

Baruch College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Baruch College is a fairly large school located in New York, New York that handed out 44 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Baruch College is $2,264 for education students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at Baruch College

12
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 657 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UF is $5,135 for education students with aid.

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%. 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 more about Education at University of Florida

13
Urban College of Boston crest
Urban College of Boston
Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #13, Urban College of Boston did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 101 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Urban College of Boston is also in the top of our “Best Education Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Urban College of Boston is $12,714 for Education students with aid.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Urban College of Boston Education Report

14
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, Texas

With a ranking of #14, El Centro College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Dallas, Texas, this large public school awarded 306 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,739 for education students with aid per year to attend El Centro College.

Full El Centro College Education Report

15
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 761 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

Harvard also took the #2 spot in our “Best Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard University is $13,872 for Education students with aid.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Harvard University

16

Delaware Technical Community College - Terry ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Dover, Delaware, and it awarded 148 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Delaware Tech is in the top on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Delaware Technical Community College - Terry is $8,479 for Education students with aid.

Read full report on Education at Delaware Tech

17

Brigham Young University - Idaho did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. BYU - I is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Rexburg, Idaho. It awarded 380 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Idaho is $6,698 for education students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Education at BYU - I

18

Sinclair Community College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Sinclair Community College is a fairly large school located in Dayton, Ohio that handed out 87 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Sinclair Community College is $4,959 for education students with aid.

Read more about Education at Sinclair Community College

19

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 244 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $12,469 for Education students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 Education at UNC Chapel Hill

20
Middlesex Community College crest
Middlesex Community College
Bedford, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #20, Middlesex Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Bedford, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 45 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Middlesex Community College is $4,871 for Education students with aid.

Full Middlesex Community College Education Report

21
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 653 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Purdue is in the top on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $13,377 for education students with aid.

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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Education Report

22
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

With a ranking of #22, Stanford University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 146 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $12,894 for education students with aid.

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%. 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.

Read full report on Education at Stanford

23

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a public institution located in Edinburg, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 573 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UT Rio Grande Valley is $3,743 for education students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 Education at UT Rio Grande Valley

24

California State University - Fullerton ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 982 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $8,003 for education students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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 Education at Cal State Fullerton

25

Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Provo, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 491 students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, BYU also did well on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Provo is $13,474 for education students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Education at BYU

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid

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
Atlanta Area Tech crest
Atlanta Technical College
Atlanta, Georgia
29
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina
29
31
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St Petersburg College
Clearwater, Florida
32
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana
33
Palm Beach State College crest
Palm Beach State College
Lake Worth, Florida
34
35
36
Indian River State College crest
Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, Florida
37
38
Albany Technical College crest
Albany Technical College
Albany, Georgia
39
40
ICC crest
Itawamba Community College
Fulton, Mississippi
41
Community College of Philadelphia crest
Community College of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
42
Central Piedmont Community College crest
Central Piedmont Community College
Charlotte, North Carolina
43
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana
44
FTCC crest
Fayetteville Technical Community College
Fayetteville, North Carolina
45
CGTC crest
Central Georgia Technical College
Warner Robins, Georgia
46
MDC crest
Miami Dade College
Miami, Florida
47
CSN crest
College of Southern Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
48
49
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Education Schools For Those Getting Aid

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

Rank College Location
51 Spokane Falls Community College Spokane, WA
52 Texas A&M International University Laredo, TX
53 Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA
54 Palo Alto College San Antonio, TX
55 The University of West Florida Pensacola, FL
56 California State University - Dominguez Hills Carson, CA
57 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
57 Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN
59 University of Missouri - St Louis Saint Louis, MO
60 Georgia Northwestern Technical College Rome, GA
61 Georgia Military College Milledgeville, GA
61 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
63 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
64 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
65 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
Rank College Location
66 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
67 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI
68 Iowa State University Ames, IA
69 College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY
70 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
71 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
72 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
72 Milwaukee Area Technical College Milwaukee, WI
74 Stanly Community College Albemarle, NC
75 Holmes Community College Goodman, MS
76 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
77 Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Salisbury, NC
78 University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
79 University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL
80 York College Jamaica, NY
81 West Georgia Technical College Waco, GA
82 Utah State University Logan, UT
83 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
84 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
84 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
86 East Carolina University Greenville, NC
87 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
88 Quinsigamond Community College Worcester, MA
89 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
90 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
Rank College Location
91 Northeast Community College Norfolk, NE
92 University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA
93 Northwest Vista College San Antonio, TX
94 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
95 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
96 University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI
97 Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Cincinnati, OH
98 Borough of Manhattan Community College New York, NY
99 Bristol Community College Fall River, MA
100 University of Phoenix - Arizona Tempe, AZ
101 Towson University Towson, MD
102 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
103 William Carey University Hattiesburg, MS
104 Hostos Community College Bronx, NY
105 Indiana University - Northwest Gary, IN
106 Springfield Technical Community College Springfield, MA
107 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
108 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
109 Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA
110 El Paso Community College El Paso, TX
111 California State University - Stanislaus Turlock, CA
112 University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI
113 Lone Star College System The Woodlands, TX
114 Essex County College Newark, NJ
115 Heritage University Toppenish, WA
Rank College Location
116 Minot State University Minot, ND
117 Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC
118 University of Delaware Newark, DE
119 Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, NC
120 Valley City State University Valley City, ND
121 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
122 Marshall University Huntington, WV
123 Florida SouthWestern State College Fort Myers, FL
124 Medgar Evers College Brooklyn, NY
125 Wake Technical Community College Raleigh, NC
126 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
126 Camden County College Blackwood, NJ
128 Rhode Island College Providence, RI
129 Texas Woman’s University Denton, TX
129 Northeastern State University Tahlequah, OK
131 Louisiana State University - Shreveport Shreveport, LA
132 Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Green Bay, WI
133 Southeastern Oklahoma State University Durant, OK
134 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
135 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
136 Cuyahoga Community College District Cleveland, OH
137 University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
137 The University of Texas at Tyler Tyler, TX
139 Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA
140 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
Rank College Location
141 Delaware County Community College Media, PA
142 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
143 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
143 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
145 Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL
146 Washington State University Pullman, WA
147 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
148 The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX
149 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
150 Montgomery County Community College Blue Bell, PA
151 Columbus State University Columbus, GA
152 Weber State University Ogden, UT
153 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI
154 University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA
155 North Dakota State University - Main Campus Fargo, ND
156 Arkansas State University - Main Campus Jonesboro, AR
157 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
158 Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale, IL
159 Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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