2023 Best Value Colleges for Education (Income $30-$48k)
1,045
Ranked Colleges
327,871
Degrees Awarded
$3,900
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Education is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 4th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 327,871 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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.
This year’s “Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 1,045 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.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 $30-$48k” 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Education (Income $30-$48k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 135 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Duke has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Education Schools” ranking. It costs about $-927 for education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Duke. 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.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%.
Full Duke Education Report
Out of the 1,045 schools in the Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #2 spot on the list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 761 students in 2020-2021.
Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard University is $1,396 for Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Harvard University Education Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 146 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Stanford has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $1,581 for Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 4 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 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Stanford University Education Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 92 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Education Schools” list. It costs about $917 for education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern.
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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Education at Northwestern
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 607 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Education Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,938 for education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.
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 freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 University of Pennsylvania
University of Chicago landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 46 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Education Schools” list. It costs about $4,777 for Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UChicago.
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%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Education at University of Chicago
Johns Hopkins University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 916 students in 2020-2021.
Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Education Schools” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $4,859 for Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.
Full Johns Hopkins University Education Report
Hunter College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k 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 in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $2,135 for Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Hunter College.
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 Hunter College
With a ranking of #9, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 657 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
UF also claimed a top spot 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 University of Florida is $2,857 for Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 UF
Brooklyn College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k 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.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Brooklyn College also did well on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $3,105 for Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Brooklyn College.
The low undergrad 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%.
Full Brooklyn College Education Report
The City College of New York landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CCNY is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 645 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
CCNY 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 yearly cost to attend CCNY is $3,035 for education students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 full report on Education at CCNY
Queens College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Queens College is a fairly large public school situated in Queens, New York. It awarded 909 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
QC also claimed a top spot 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 Queens College is $3,524 for education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Education at QC
Vanderbilt University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. 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.
Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt is $4,652 for education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Vanderbilt University Education Report
University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 676 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $6,399 for Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.
Full UW Seattle Education Report
Wake Forest University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 120 students in 2020-2021.
Wake Forest University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wake Forest University is $5,612 for Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, 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 95%.
Read more about Education at Wake Forest University
With a ranking of #16, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 653 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Purdue is also in the top of our “Best Education Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Education Schools” list. It costs about $5,853 for education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Education at Purdue
Lehman College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bronx, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 505 students in 2020-2021.
Lehman also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Lehman is $3,381 for Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full Lehman Education Report
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k 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 California State University - Los Angeles is $2,701 for education students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Full Cal State LA Education Report
Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 608 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington 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 IU Bloomington is $7,061 for education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Education at IU Bloomington
With a ranking of #20, Brown University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 81 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Brown is also in the top of our “Best Education Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Brown is $2,842 for Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.
Read full report on Education at Brown University
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 975 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $8,609 for Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Education Report
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 248 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
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 yearly cost to attend U-M is $5,670 for education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 96%.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Education Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 613 degrees to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also claimed a top spot 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 UW - Madison is $4,788 for education students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 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 full report on Education at University of Wisconsin - Madison
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 567 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,036 for Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Education Report
Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Rexburg, Idaho is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s education degrees to 380 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend BYU - I is $3,357 for education students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 Brigham Young University - Idaho
