2023 Best Value Colleges for Education (Income $30-$48k) in the Southeast Region
264
Ranked Colleges
74,881
Degrees Awarded
$5,400
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
With 327,871 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, education is the 4th most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $46,202 and had an average of $24,437 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Southeast region, there were 74,881 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $43,366 and $24,123 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 264 colleges that offer a degree in education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Education (Income $30-$48k) in the Southeast Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 135 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Duke also took the #1 spot in our “Best Education Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $-927 for Southeast Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.
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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Duke Education Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 657 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UF, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Education Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $2,857 for Southeast Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Education at UF
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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. 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.
In addition to being on our southeast region education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Vanderbilt has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Education Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $4,652 for southeast region education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Vanderbilt.
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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Education at Vanderbilt University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wake Forest University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It awarded 120 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Wake Forest University also took the #5 spot in our “Best Education Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wake Forest University is $5,612 for Southeast Region 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Wake Forest University Education Report
Out of the 264 schools in the Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #5 spot on the list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 244 students in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Education Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $5,729 for southeast region education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Education Report
University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 745 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
USF Tampa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Education Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $5,632 for southeast region education students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Education at USF Tampa
William & Mary ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, and it awarded 156 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
William & Mary also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $7,507 for Southeast Region 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full William & Mary Education Report
Florida State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 576 students in 2020-2021.
Florida State also took the #16 spot in our “Best Education Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $7,349 for southeast region education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Full Florida State University Education Report
With a ranking of #9, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UGA is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 832 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Education Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $10,688 for southeast region education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UGA.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, 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 undergraduate students.
Read full report on Education at UGA
University of Central Florida came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Central Florida is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,635 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Education Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Florida is $6,256 for Southeast Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Education at UCF
The University of West Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. The University of West Florida is a fairly large public school situated in Pensacola, Florida. It awarded 626 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UWF is $3,827 for Southeast Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Education at UWF
Florida International University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 765 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, FIU also did well on our “Best Education Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $4,882 for Southeast Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend FIU.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 FIU
University of North Florida came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Jacksonville, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 326 students in 2020-2021.
UNF also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $6,074 for Southeast Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNF.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of North Florida Education Report
St Petersburg College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SPC is located in Clearwater, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 227 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $2,769 for Southeast Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SPC.
Read more about Education at SPC
North Carolina State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s education degrees to 607 students in 2020-2021.
NC State also took the #9 spot in our “Best Education Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $9,448 for Southeast Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend North Carolina State University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full North Carolina State University Education Report
University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 369 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia also made our “Best Education Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $10,063 for Southeast Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Education at University of Virginia - Main Campus
With a ranking of #17, Palm Beach State College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Palm Beach State College is located in Lake Worth, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 58 ’s education degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Palm Beach State College is $9,727 for Southeast Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Education at Palm Beach State College
Indian River State College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Indian River State College is a public institution located in Fort Pierce, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,595 for southeast region education students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indian River State College.
Read full report on Education at Indian River State College
Itawamba Community College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Fulton, Mississippi, this small public school handed out 80 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for ICC is $3,937 for Southeast Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Education at ICC
Central Georgia Technical College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. CGTC is a medium-sized school located in Warner Robins, Georgia that handed out 54 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Central Georgia Technical College is $2,341 for Southeast Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full Central Georgia Technical College Education Report
Atlanta Technical College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Atlanta Area Tech is a small public school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 74 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Atlanta Area Tech is $-75 for Southeast Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k. 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.
Read full report on Education at Atlanta Area Tech
Albany Technical College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Albany Technical College is a public institution located in Albany, Georgia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 61 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Albany Technical College is $1,053 for Southeast Region Education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full Albany Technical College Education Report
Appalachian State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Appalachian State is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 808 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region education students whose families make $30-$48k list, Appalachian State has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Education Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State University is $9,940 for southeast region 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Full Appalachian State Education Report
Central Piedmont Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Central Piedmont Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Charlotte, North Carolina. It awarded 195 ’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Central Piedmont Community College is $5,642 for southeast region education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Education at Central Piedmont Community College
Northern Kentucky University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, this fairly large public school awarded 226 diplomas to qualified ’s education students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Northern Kentucky University is $5,947 for southeast region education students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full NKU Education Report
