2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
1,052
Ranked Colleges
327,871
Degrees Awarded
$3,100
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
With 327,871 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, education is the 4th most popular major in the United States. 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 Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 1,052 colleges that offer a degree in education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the 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 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 Those Making $0-$30k” 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 Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Education (Income $0-$30k)
Out of the 1,052 schools in the Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Duke University is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 135 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Duke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Duke University is $371 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Education at Duke
Out of the 1,052 schools in the Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 146 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Education Schools” list. It costs about $1,233 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford University.
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%. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Education at Stanford
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 916 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins is $2,084 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. 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%.
Full Johns Hopkins University Education Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Harvard is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 761 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Education Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,564 for education students whose families make $0-$30k 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Harvard University Education Report
Out of the 1,052 schools in the Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #5 spot on the list. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 92 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also made our “Best Education Schools” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $245 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 0.6%, 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.
Read more about Education at Northwestern
University of Pennsylvania came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UPenn is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 607 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
UPenn also took the #5 spot in our “Best Education Schools” ranking. It costs about $580 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.
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 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Education at UPenn
With a ranking of #7, Brown University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brown is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 81 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Brown also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Brown is $1,468 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The 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%.
Read more about Education at Brown University
Hunter College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Hunter College is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,183 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on this list, Hunter is in the top on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Hunter is $396 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 more about Education at Hunter
University of Chicago came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 46 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
UChicago also took the #21 spot in our “Best Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $2,500 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. 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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UChicago Education Report
Vanderbilt University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 346 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Education Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,176 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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 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%.
Read more about Education at Vanderbilt University
With a ranking of #11, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 657 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $65 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 Education at University of Florida
With a ranking of #12, The City College of New York did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 645 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, CCNY is in the top on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend CCNY is $1,254 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
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
Brooklyn College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brooklyn College is located in Brooklyn, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 837 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on this list, Brooklyn College is in the top on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $1,547 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Brooklyn College Education Report
With a ranking of #14, Lehman College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Bronx, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 505 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, Lehman 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 yearly cost to attend Lehman College is $881 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Lehman Education Report
Queens College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Queens, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 909 students in 2020-2021.
QC also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $1,344 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Queens College.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Education at Queens College
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 567 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Education Schools” list. It costs about $4,858 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Wake Forest University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 120 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wake Forest University has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wake Forest University is $10,401 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Full Wake Forest University Education Report
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 248 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, U-M is in the top 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 U-M is $2,670 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on Education at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 613 students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UW - Madison Education Report
With a ranking of #20, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 676 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle also took the #9 spot in our “Best Education Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,194 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Education at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
With a ranking of #21, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 608 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on this list, IU Bloomington 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 IU Bloomington is $5,752 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, 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 91%.
Read more about Education at Indiana University - Bloomington
Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 653 students in 2020-2021.
Purdue also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Education Schools” list. It costs about $5,995 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read more about Education at Purdue
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 975 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Education Schools” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $7,698 for education students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Read full report on Education at UMN Twin Cities
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 244 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $3,753 for Education students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UNC Chapel Hill Education Report
University of Georgia landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UGA is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 832 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UGA, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Education Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,303 for education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UGA.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 Education at University of Georgia
