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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region

278 Ranked Colleges
23,063 Degrees Awarded
$4,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

With 310,601 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, education is the 4th most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $43,887 and had an average of $30,244 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 72,154 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,150 and $31,712 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 23,063 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 278 colleges that offered a degree in education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great education programs and cost less that 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 a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Education (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 278 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Duke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Duke also took the #1 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $-7,808 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The 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 Duke

#2

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 278 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #2 spot on the list. UF is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 200 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $1,994 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, 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 97%.

Read full report on Education at UF

#3

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Vanderbilt is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 56 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt University is $3,156 for southeast region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Vanderbilt University

#4

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 98 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #3 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $4,026 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at UNC Chapel Hill

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Central Florida. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCF is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 978 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UCF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCF is $6,211 for southeast region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Education at University of Central Florida

#16 in overall quality

Florida International University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. FIU is a large school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 482 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

FIU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida International University is $5,002 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Education at Florida International University

#7

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#8 in overall quality

Florida State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida State University is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 193 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Florida State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $5,360 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Education at Florida State

#12 in overall quality

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USF Tampa is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 410 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USF Tampa, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $3,950 for southeast region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 full report on Education at University of South Florida - Main Campus

#9

St Petersburg College

Clearwater, Florida

St Petersburg College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. St Petersburg College is a public institution located in Clearwater, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 142 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for St Petersburg College is $1,454 for southeast region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Education at SPC

#10

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#7 in overall quality

North Carolina State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. North Carolina State University is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 146 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

NC State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $7,285 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at NC State

#11

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida
Top 15% in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of North Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNF is a public institution located in Jacksonville, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 172 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UNF also did well on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNF is $5,097 for southeast region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at University of North Florida

#12

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Georgia is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia. It awarded 316 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k list, UGA has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $7,541 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UGA.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Georgia Education Report

#13

Berea College

Berea, Kentucky
Top 20% in overall quality

Berea College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Berea is a small school located in Berea, Kentucky that handed out 29 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Berea also did well on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Berea College is $5,296 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Read full report on Education at Berea

#14

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida
Top 25% in overall quality

The University of West Florida ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of West Florida is a public institution located in Pensacola, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,140 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UWF.

Read more about Education at The University of West Florida

#15

Florida State College at Jacksonville

Jacksonville, Florida

With a ranking of #15, Florida State College at Jacksonville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Jacksonville, Florida, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for FSCJ is $2,126 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Education at FSCJ

#16

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Appalachian State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Boone, North Carolina, and it awarded 358 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Appalachian State also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State University is $7,169 for southeast region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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%.

Full Appalachian State Education Report

#17

Miami Dade College

Miami, Florida

With a ranking of #17, Miami Dade College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. MDC is a large school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 105 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,471 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend MDC.

Full Miami Dade College Education Report

#18

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida
Top 10% in overall quality

Florida Atlantic University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Boca Raton, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 223 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, FAU is also in the top of our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. It costs about $6,085 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend FAU.

Read more about Education at FAU

#19

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida
Top 15% in overall quality

Florida Gulf Coast University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida Gulf Coast University is a fairly large school located in Fort Myers, Florida that handed out 181 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, FGCU is also in the top of our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend FGCU is $7,824 for southeast region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Education at Florida Gulf Coast University

#20

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Highland Heights, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 188 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NKU is $4,156 for southeast region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Education at Northern Kentucky University

#21

Chipola College

Marianna, Florida

Chipola College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chipola College is a small school located in Marianna, Florida that handed out 20 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Chipola College is $2,076 for southeast region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Education at Chipola College

#22

Indian River State College

Fort Pierce, Florida

Indian River State College landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fort Pierce, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 49 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indian River State College is $1,402 for southeast region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Education at Indian River State College

#23

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina
Top 15% in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a public institution located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 203 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Greensboro excels when it comes to education quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro is $8,853 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UNC Greensboro Education Report

#24

Dalton State College

Dalton, Georgia

Dalton State College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. DSC is a small public school situated in Dalton, Georgia. It awarded 91 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend DSC is $5,150 for southeast region bachelor’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Education at DSC

#25

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia
Top 20% in overall quality

University of North Georgia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. This fairly large school is located in Dahlonega, Georgia, and it awarded 164 bachelors’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UNG also did well on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNG is $7,650 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Education students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Education at University of North Georgia

Rest of the Best 43 in Best Value Education Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 43 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina
#27

Shepherd University

Shepherdstown, West Virginia
#28

Florida SouthWestern State College

Fort Myers, Florida
#29

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, North Carolina
#30

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi
#31

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia
#32

McNeese State University

Lake Charles, Louisiana
#35

North Carolina A & T State University

Greensboro, North Carolina
#36

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#37

Louisiana Tech University

Ruston, Louisiana
#38

Northwest Florida State College

Niceville, Florida
#39

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, North Carolina
#41

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee
#42

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina

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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 Horadrim.

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