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2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for General Studies

25 Ranked Colleges
183 Degrees Awarded
$31,300 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on General Studies Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.

With 125,813 degrees handed out in 2021-2022, general studies is the 5th most popular major in the United States.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 183 general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,979 and $43,370 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major” ranking analyzed 25 colleges that offered a degree in general studies. That schools that top this list have a program in general studies in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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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 “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to 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.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for General Studies

1

Out of the 25 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Tennessee Technological University landed the #1 spot on the list. Tennessee Tech University is located in Cookeville, Tennessee and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 37 masters’s general studies degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 General Studies at Tennessee Tech University

2
Tennessee State University crest
Tennessee State University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Tennessee State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 17 masters’s general studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Tennessee State University General Studies Report

3
Austin Peay State University crest
Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Austin Peay State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major list. Austin Peay State University is a medium-sized school located in Clarksville, Tennessee that handed out 46 masters’s general studies degrees in 2021-2022.

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 Austin Peay State University General Studies Report

4
Middle Tennessee State University crest
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Middle Tennessee State University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major. Murfreesboro, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s general studies degrees to 48 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Middle Tennessee State University General Studies Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Edward’s University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major list. St. Edward’s University is located in Austin, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 masters’s general studies degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 full report on General Studies at Saint Edward’s University

6
UofM crest
University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee

With a ranking of #6, University of Memphis did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major list. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, this large public school handed out 21 degrees to qualified masters’s general studies students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.

Read full report on General Studies at University of Memphis

7
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major list. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Chicago General Studies Report

8
Fresno Pacific crest
Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, California

Fresno Pacific University ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major list. Fresno Pacific University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Fresno Pacific General Studies Report

9
ETSU crest
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, Tennessee

East Tennessee State University ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major list. East Tennessee State University is a fairly large school located in Johnson City, Tennessee that handed out 1 masters’s general studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Studies at East Tennessee State University

10
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Drexel University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major ranking, coming in at #10. Drexel is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 4 masters’s general studies degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on General Studies at Drexel

11

With a ranking of #11, Northern Baptist Theological Seminary did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major list. Located in Lisle, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 0 degrees to qualified masters’s general studies students in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Northern Seminary General Studies Report

11
Harding crest
Harding University
Searcy, Arkansas

With a ranking of #11, Harding University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major list. This small school is located in Searcy, Arkansas, and it awarded 21 masters’s general studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Harding General Studies Report

11
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major list. North Central is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Naperville, Illinois. It awarded 0 masters’s general studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 North Central General Studies Report

11

New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, this fairly large public school handed out 2 degrees to qualified masters’s general studies students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Read more about General Studies at NMSU Main Campus

11
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major ranking, coming in at #11. Ball State University is a fairly large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 0 masters’s general studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Ball State General Studies Report

11

Southern Nazarene University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major ranking. SNU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bethany, Oklahoma. The school has a small population, and it awarded 58 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 General Studies at SNU

11

William Paterson University of New Jersey ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major list. Wayne, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s general studies degrees to 0 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full William Paterson University of New Jersey General Studies Report

11
Boricua College crest
Boricua College
New York, New York

Boricua College ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major list. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s general studies degrees to 0 students in 2021-2022.

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%.

Full Boricua College General Studies Report

11
Lewis crest
Lewis University
Romeoville, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, Lewis University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major list. Lewis is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Romeoville, Illinois. It awarded 2 masters’s general studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Studies at Lewis University

11
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, DePaul University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major list. DePaul University is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 67 masters’s general studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full DePaul University General Studies Report

11

Southern Methodist University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major ranking, coming in at #11. Southern Methodist University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 0 masters’s general studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Studies at Southern Methodist University

11

Western Oregon University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major ranking. Western Oregon State College is a public institution located in Monmouth, Oregon. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Studies at Western Oregon State College

11
Molloy crest
Molloy College
Rockville Centre, New York

Molloy College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major ranking, coming in at #11. This small school is located in Rockville Centre, New York, and it awarded 0 masters’s general studies degrees in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Studies at Molloy College

11
Earlham crest
Earlham College
Richmond, Indiana

Earlham College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major ranking. Located in Richmond, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified masters’s general studies students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Earlham General Studies Report

11
Mississippi State crest
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, Mississippi

Mississippi State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major ranking. This large school is located in Mississippi State, Mississippi, and it awarded 57 masters’s general studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Studies at Mississippi State University

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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