2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Education (With Aid)
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid” 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 Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 1,017 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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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 Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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 for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Education (With Aid)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. Hunter College 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.
In addition to being on this list, Hunter is in the top 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.
Out of the 1,017 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Lehman College landed the #2 spot on the list. Lehman College 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 ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Lehman College are $21,000, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Out of the 1,017 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Brooklyn College landed the #3 spot on the list. Brooklyn College is a fairly large school located in Brooklyn, New York that handed out 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 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.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The City College of New York. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 353 masters’s education degrees 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 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 The City College of New York are $20,832.
Out of the 1,017 schools in the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #5 spot on the 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 California State University - Dominguez Hills are $17,884, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #6, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 337 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal State LA excels when it comes to education quality. It’s in the top 20% 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 Cal State LA are $17,723.
With a ranking of #7, Baruch College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Baruch is a fairly large school located in New York, New York that handed out 55 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 Baruch are $20,880.
With a ranking of #8, Queens College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Queens College 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 in the top 10% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at QC are $21,042, but some majors have different tuition rates.
California State University - Fresno ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. 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 some majors have different tuition rates.
California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 461 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State Fullerton are $17,892, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Education at California State University - Fullerton
University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 337 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
UW Seattle also made our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #18. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Washington - Seattle Campus are $30,294.
Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Education Report
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a large public school situated in Edinburg, Texas. It awarded 363 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at UT Rio Grande Valley are $15,151, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
California State University - Bakersfield came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Bakersfield is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 188 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUB are $18,437, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Education at California State University - Bakersfield
University of Florida ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 352 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UF also claimed a top spot on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UF are $30,130, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s education degrees to 108 students in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UNC Chapel Hill also did well on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Texas A&M International University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Texas A&M International University is located in Laredo, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 135 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A&M International University are $15,106.
Read full report on Education at Texas A&M International University
Harvard University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 691 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
Harvard also took the #2 spot in our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard are $50,654, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Stan State is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 117 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Stan State are $18,540, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #19, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 196 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Long Beach are $17,784, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Education at California State University - Long Beach
Western Governors University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. WGU is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5,984 masters’s education degrees to qualified students.
On top of its placing in this ranking, WGU also did well on our “Best Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% 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 Western Governors University are $7,790.
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 130 degrees to qualified masters’s education students in 2019-2020.
UC Irvine 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 University of California - Irvine are $28,456.
California State University - Northridge ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. CSUN is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 350 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUN are $17,955, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Texas A & M University - Central Texas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Texas A & M University - Central Texas is a small school located in Killeen, Texas that handed out 32 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 Texas A & M University - Central Texas are $13,561.
Read full report on Education at Texas A & M University - Central Texas
Stanford University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 169 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 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 Stanford University are $55,011.
Louisiana State University - Shreveport did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. This medium-sized school is located in Shreveport, Louisiana, and it awarded 214 masters’s education degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Louisiana State University - Shreveport are $19,731, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full Louisiana State University - Shreveport Education Report
Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Education Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid
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 Getting Aid
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Rank | College | Location |
---|---|---|
51 | University of Wisconsin - River Falls | River Falls, WI |
52 | University of Wyoming | Laramie, WY |
53 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro, NC |
54 | Indiana University - Bloomington | Bloomington, IN |
55 | North Carolina State University | Raleigh, NC |
56 | University of Alaska Fairbanks | Fairbanks, AK |
57 | California State Polytechnic University - Pomona | Pomona, CA |
58 | University of Wisconsin - Whitewater | Whitewater, WI |
59 | University of California - San Diego | La Jolla, CA |
60 | California State University - San Marcos | San Marcos, CA |
61 | University of Wisconsin - Green Bay | Green Bay, WI |
62 | Valley City State University | Valley City, ND |
63 | University of North Florida | Jacksonville, FL |
64 | Florida Gulf Coast University | Fort Myers, FL |
65 | Lamar University | Beaumont, TX |
Rank | College | Location |
---|---|---|
140 | William & Mary | Williamsburg, VA |
141 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick | New Brunswick, NJ |
142 | University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire | Eau Claire, WI |
143 | James Madison University | Harrisonburg, VA |
144 | University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | Stevens Point, WI |
145 | University of Hawaii at Manoa | Honolulu, HI |
146 | University of North Dakota | Grand Forks, ND |
147 | University of North Georgia | Dahlonega, GA |
148 | Southern Utah University | Cedar City, UT |
149 | University of Illinois at Springfield | Springfield, IL |
150 | Iowa State University | Ames, IA |
151 | University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls, IA |
152 | University of the Cumberlands | Williamsburg, KY |
153 | SUNY New Paltz | New Paltz, NY |
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Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Education in the Southeast Region (With Aid)
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Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Education (Income Over $110k)
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Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Education (Income $75-$110k)
Education students with family income $75-$110k
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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