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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region

58 Ranked Colleges
4,509 Degrees Awarded
$9,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

General Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 5th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 133,583 degrees were awarded to students with this major.

Across the Southeast region, there were 28,839 general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,509 general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 58 colleges that offered a degree in general studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general studies 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 General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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 General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region

#1

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend American Public University System. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. American Public University System is located in Charles Town, West Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 118 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at American Military University, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for American Public University System is $10,013 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Read more about General Studies at American Public University System

#2

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Middle Tennessee State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Middle Tennessee State University is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 98 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Middle Tennessee State University has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Middle Tennessee State University is $8,919 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Middle Tennessee State University General Studies Report

#13 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend West Virginia University Institute of Technology. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. West Virginia University Institute of Technology is a small public school situated in Beckley, West Virginia. It awarded 21 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at West Virginia University Tech, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $8,142 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend West Virginia University Institute of Technology.

Full West Virginia University Institute of Technology General Studies Report

#4

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Marshall University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Marshall University is a public institution located in Huntington, West Virginia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 189 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Marshall University is $5,770 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Marshall University General Studies Report

#5

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi
#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Mississippi. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ole Miss is a large school located in University, Mississippi that handed out 126 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Ole Miss did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $9,455 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Mississippi.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on General Studies at Ole Miss

#6

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, West Virginia University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. West Virginia University is located in Morgantown, West Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 271 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.

WVU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for West Virginia University is $9,213 for southeast region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Studies at WVU

#7

McNeese State University

Lake Charles, Louisiana
#14 in overall quality

McNeese State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. McNeese is a public institution located in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 124 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, McNeese has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for McNeese State University is $11,892 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Studies at McNeese State University

#8

Shepherd University

Shepherdstown, West Virginia
#15 in overall quality

Shepherd University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and it awarded 85 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Shepherd University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Shepherd University is $8,068 for southeast region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Studies at Shepherd University

Louisiana State University - Alexandria did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Louisiana State University - Alexandria is a small public school situated in Alexandria, Louisiana. It awarded 61 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,487 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Louisiana State University - Alexandria.

Read more about General Studies at Louisiana State University - Alexandria

#10

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia
#18 in overall quality

University of North Georgia landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Dahlonega, Georgia, this fairly large public school awarded 41 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general studies students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNG has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $7,650 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Georgia.

Full University of North Georgia General Studies Report

#25 in overall quality

Potomac State College of West Virginia University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Potomac State College of West Virginia University is a small public school situated in Keyser, West Virginia. It awarded 21 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, WVU Potomac State College has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $6,615 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Potomac State College of West Virginia University.

Read full report on General Studies at Potomac State College of West Virginia University

Louisiana State University - Shreveport ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Louisiana State University - Shreveport is a medium-sized public school situated in Shreveport, Louisiana. It awarded 53 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Louisiana State University - Shreveport is $8,200 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Studies at Louisiana State University - Shreveport

#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of Louisiana at Lafayette did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Lafayette, Louisiana, and it awarded 325 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UL Lafayette also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UL Lafayette is $9,621 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Studies at UL Lafayette

#14

Louisiana Tech University

Ruston, Louisiana

Louisiana Tech University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Louisiana Tech University is located in Ruston, Louisiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Louisiana Tech University is $8,889 for southeast region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Studies at Louisiana Tech

#11 in overall quality

Southeastern Louisiana University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Southeastern is a fairly large school located in Hammond, Louisiana that handed out 225 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Southeastern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $10,360 for southeast region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southeastern Louisiana University.

Read full report on General Studies at Southeastern

#16

Murray State University

Murray, Kentucky
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Murray State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Murray State University is located in Murray, Kentucky and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 112 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.

Murray State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Murray State is $8,839 for southeast region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Studies at Murray State

#17

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, Georgia
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Georgia Southern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Statesboro, Georgia, this large public school handed out 190 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general studies students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, GaSou has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GaSou is $12,378 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Studies at Georgia Southern University

#22 in overall quality

University of Louisiana at Monroe landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Louisiana at Monroe is a public institution located in Monroe, Louisiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, ULM has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $9,434 for southeast region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Read full report on General Studies at University of Louisiana at Monroe

#19

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia
#3 in overall quality

George Mason University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. George Mason University is a large school located in Fairfax, Virginia that handed out 25 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

GMU also made our “Best General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend George Mason University is $16,204 for southeast region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full George Mason University General Studies Report

#20

West Virginia University at Parkersburg

Parkersburg, West Virginia

West Virginia University at Parkersburg came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and it awarded 63 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend West Virginia University at Parkersburg is $6,050 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full West Virginia University at Parkersburg General Studies Report

#21

Concord University

Athens, West Virginia

Concord University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Concord University is located in Athens, West Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 73 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Concord University is $7,729 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Studies at Concord University

#22

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, Tennessee

East Tennessee State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Johnson City, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for ETSU is $10,632 for southeast region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Studies at East Tennessee State University

University of Arkansas at Monticello ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Arkansas at Monticello is a small school located in Monticello, Arkansas that handed out 83 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Arkansas at Monticello is $11,326 for southeast region bachelor’s degree general studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Studies at UAM

#24

Fairmont State University

Fairmont, West Virginia

Fairmont State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fairmont, West Virginia, this small public school handed out 35 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general studies students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,595 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fairmont State University.

Full Fairmont State University General Studies Report

#25

University of Arkansas - Fort Smith

Fort Smith, Arkansas

With a ranking of #25, University of Arkansas - Fort Smith did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Arkansas - Fort Smith is a public institution located in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UAFS is $7,838 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree General Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Arkansas - Fort Smith General Studies Report

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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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