2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Education (Income $0-$30k)
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 a Master’s 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.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 151,132 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 1,016 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great education programs and 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college 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. 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 Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Education (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 169 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 74 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwestern also made our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #4. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 474 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pennsylvania are $41,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Johns Hopkins is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 669 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our master’s degree education students whose families make $0-$30k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins University are $59,425, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 691 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard University are $50,654.
With a ranking of #6, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 37 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548.
Duke University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Duke is located in Durham, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
Duke excels when it comes to education quality. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Duke are $59,140, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Brown University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brown is a medium-sized school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 25 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, Brown is in the top on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Brown are $60,363, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #9, University of Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 352 students in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at UF are $30,130, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #10, Hunter College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hunter is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 800 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Hunter also did well on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at Hunter are $20,828, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Vanderbilt University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s education degrees to 272 students in 2019-2020.
Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt are $50,624, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 173 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, U-M is also in the top of our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Education at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Lehman College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lehman College is a fairly large public school situated in Bronx, New York. It awarded 394 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Lehman also did well on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Lehman are $21,000.
The City College of New York ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. CCNY is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 353 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
CCNY also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at CCNY are $20,832.
With a ranking of #15, Brooklyn College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brooklyn College is located in Brooklyn, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 489 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
Brooklyn College also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Brooklyn College are $20,952, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #16, Queens College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. QC is a public institution located in Queens, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 442 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
QC also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Queens College are $21,042.
Baruch College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Baruch is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 55 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Baruch are $20,880, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
California State University - Los Angeles landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 337 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
Cal State LA excels when it comes to education quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State LA are $17,723, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Education at California State University - Los Angeles
California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 223 masters’s education degrees 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 - Dominguez Hills are $17,884.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 108 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, UNC Chapel Hill is in the top on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248.
Read full report on Education at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 278 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083.
Read full report on Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 337 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW Seattle are $30,294, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 155 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - Madison is also in the top of our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523.
California State University - Fullerton ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 461 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fullerton are $17,892, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #25, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 295 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fresno are $17,581, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Education at California State University - Fresno
Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Wake Forest University | Winston-Salem, NC |
| 52 | College of Staten Island CUNY | Staten Island, NY |
| 53 | University of Minnesota - Duluth | Duluth, MN |
| 54 | Boston College | Chestnut Hill, MA |
| 55 | Colorado College | Colorado Springs, CO |
| 56 | University of Richmond | University of Richmond, VA |
| 57 | Towson University | Towson, MD |
| 58 | Washington State University | Pullman, WA |
| 59 | Michigan State University | East Lansing, MI |
| 60 | Texas A & M University - Central Texas | Killeen, TX |
| 61 | SUNY Old Westbury | Old Westbury, NY |
| 62 | University of North Florida | Jacksonville, FL |
| 63 | Ball State University | Muncie, IN |
| 64 | University of Wyoming | Laramie, WY |
| 65 | Louisiana State University - Shreveport | Shreveport, LA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 141 | Alfred University | Alfred, NY |
| 142 | University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh | Oshkosh, WI |
| 143 | Southern Oregon University | Ashland, OR |
| 143 | Dickinson State University | Dickinson, ND |
| 145 | Purdue University Northwest | Hammond, IN |
| 146 | Lamar University | Beaumont, TX |
| 147 | Montclair State University | Montclair, NJ |
| 148 | SUNY Oneonta | Oneonta, NY |
| 149 | MSU Texas | Wichita Falls, TX |
| 150 | Central Washington University | Ellensburg, WA |
| 151 | University of Houston | Houston, TX |
| 152 | College of Saint Mary | Omaha, NE |
| 153 | Augusta University | Augusta, GA |
| 153 | Daemen College | Amherst, NY |
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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.
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- Credit for the banner image above goes to Horadrim.
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