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2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k

998 Ranked Colleges
151,132 Degrees Awarded
$37,600 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Education Schools for a Master's For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 998 colleges that offer a degree in education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent education programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 a Master’s 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. 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 $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Education (Income $30-$48k)

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 998 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 169 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #3. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford are $55,011, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Education at Stanford University

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s education degrees to 691 students in 2019-2020.

Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard University are $50,654, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Education at Harvard University

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 74 diplomas to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #4 spot in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Northwestern Education Report

#4

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
Top 5% in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Duke University 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 reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at Duke University are $59,140, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Duke Education Report

#5

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 474 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn also took the #5 spot in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UPenn are $41,760, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Education at UPenn

#6

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#1 in overall quality

Johns Hopkins University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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.

Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins University are $59,425, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Johns Hopkins University Education Report

#7

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

University of Chicago came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 37 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #11 spot in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UChicago are $61,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UChicago Education Report

#8

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
Top 10% in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Brown University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s education degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

Brown 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. Average graduate tuition and fees at Brown University are $60,363, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Brown University Education Report

#9

Hunter College

New York, New York
Top 5% in overall quality

Hunter College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 800 students in 2019-2020.

Hunter 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 Hunter are $20,828, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Hunter College Education Report

#10

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 5% in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k 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.

UF also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% 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 UF are $30,130.

Read more about Education at University of Florida

#11

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#19 in overall quality

Vanderbilt University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 272 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 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 Vanderbilt University are $50,624.

Read full report on Education at Vanderbilt University

#12

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York

Colgate University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Hamilton, New York, and it awarded 4 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Colgate not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #0 on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Colgate University are $60,015, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Education at Colgate

#13

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#20 in overall quality

Wake Forest University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. This medium-sized school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 115 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Wake Forest University has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Wake Forest University are $39,216, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Education at Wake Forest University

#14

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York
Top 10% in overall quality

Brooklyn College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Brooklyn College is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 489 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Brooklyn College is also in the top of our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Brooklyn College are $20,952, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Education at Brooklyn College

#15

The City College of New York

New York, New York
Top 10% in overall quality

The City College of New York landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 353 diplomas to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, CCNY is in the top 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. Average graduate tuition and fees at The City College of New York are $20,832, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full The City College of New York Education Report

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 223 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUDH are $17,884, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Education at CSUDH

Top 20% in overall quality

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 337 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Cal State LA is also in the top of our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Los Angeles are $17,723, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Education at Cal State LA

#18

Lehman College

Bronx, New York
Top 10% in overall quality

Lehman College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lehman is a fairly large school located in Bronx, New York that handed out 394 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Lehman also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at Lehman are $21,000, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Lehman Education Report

#19

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Top 5% in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 173 masters’s degrees 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 in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Education at U-M

#20

Queens College

Queens, New York
Top 10% in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Queens College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Queens, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 442 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

QC excels when it comes to education quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at Queens College are $21,042, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Education at Queens College

Top 10% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 155 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - Madison also did well 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 University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Education at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#22

Baruch College

New York, New York
Top 25% in overall quality

Baruch College landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 55 diplomas to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Baruch College are $20,880, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Education at Baruch College

California State University - Fresno came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 295 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Fresno State are $17,581, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Education at Fresno State

#24

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

Boston College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s education degrees to 211 students in 2019-2020.

Boston College also made our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #10. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Boston College are $31,930.

Read full report on Education at Boston College

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 337 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #18 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 UW Seattle are $30,294.

Read more about Education at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#28

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#29

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#32

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida
#35

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#38

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#39

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#41

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#42

Colorado College

Colorado Springs, Colorado
#45

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#46

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#47

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#48

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#49

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Rank College Location
51 Indiana University - Northwest Gary, IN
52 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
53 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
54 University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA
55 University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA
56 Boston University Boston, MA
56 University of North Texas Denton, TX
58 Western Governors University Salt Lake City, UT
59 Washington State University Pullman, WA
60 College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY
61 Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, NC
62 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
63 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
64 Heritage University Toppenish, WA
65 Louisiana State University - Shreveport Shreveport, LA
Rank College Location
66 University of Georgia Athens, GA
67 University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI
68 University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL
69 SUNY Old Westbury Old Westbury, NY
70 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
71 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
72 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
73 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
74 Valley City State University Valley City, ND
75 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
76 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
77 Truman State University Kirksville, MO
78 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
79 Ball State University Muncie, IN
80 Southeastern Oklahoma State University Durant, OK
81 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
82 University of Wisconsin - Platteville Platteville, WI
82 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
84 The University of Texas at Tyler Tyler, TX
85 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
86 Trinity University San Antonio, TX
86 Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA
88 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
89 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI
90 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
Rank College Location
91 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
92 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
93 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
94 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
95 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL
96 California State University - San Marcos San Marcos, CA
97 The University of Texas of the Permian Basin Odessa, TX
98 University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Green Bay, WI
99 Smith College Northampton, MA
100 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
101 University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
102 University of Wisconsin - Stout Menomonie, WI
103 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
104 University of Missouri - St Louis Saint Louis, MO
105 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA
106 Marshall University Huntington, WV
107 University of Houston Houston, TX
108 Texas Woman’s University Denton, TX
109 Indiana University - South Bend South Bend, IN
110 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI
111 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
111 Indiana University - Southeast New Albany, IN
113 Iowa State University Ames, IA
114 St. Joseph’s College - New York Brooklyn, NY
115 Southern Oregon University Ashland, OR
Rank College Location
116 Minot State University Minot, ND
117 California State University - Monterey Bay Seaside, CA
118 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
119 Towson University Towson, MD
120 Lamar University Beaumont, TX
121 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
122 Augusta University Augusta, GA
123 University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA
124 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Stillwater, OK
125 University of St Francis Joliet, IL
126 Dickinson State University Dickinson, ND
127 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
128 Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI
129 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI
130 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
131 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
132 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ
133 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
134 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Pomona, CA
135 University of Illinois at Springfield Springfield, IL
136 MSU Texas Wichita Falls, TX
137 Angelo State University San Angelo, TX
138 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
139 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA
140 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
Rank College Location
141 George Washington University Washington, DC
142 Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL
143 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL
144 Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA
145 University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA
146 University of Mississippi University, MS
147 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
147 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
148 Utah State University Logan, UT
149 Rhode Island College Providence, RI
150 Northeastern State University Tahlequah, OK

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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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