2021 Best General Education Graduate Certificate Schools
Finding the Best General Education Graduate Certificate School for You
In 2018-2019, 31,066 people earned a degree or certificate in general education, making the major the #40 most popular in the United States.
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best General Education Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. This report analyzed 68 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best graduate certificate programs for students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school is, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2021 Best General Education Graduate Certificate Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best General Education Graduate Certificate Colleges.
Top 10 Best General Education Graduate Certificate Schools
Our analysis found Claremont Graduate University to be the best school for general education students who want to pursue a graduate certificate in the United States. Located in the suburb of Claremont, Claremont Graduate University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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Out of the 68 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Tufts University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the large suburb of Medford, Tufts is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
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The excellent graduate certificate programs at Messiah University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best general education schools in the United States. Messiah is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Mechanicsburg.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bethel University Minnesota. It ranked #4 on our 2021 Best General Education Graduate Certificate Schools list. Located in the suburb of Saint Paul, Bethel University Minnesota is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Azusa Pacific University is a great place for general education students working on their graduate certificate. Azusa Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Azusa.
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Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #6 spot in the 2021 rankings for the best graduate certificate general education programs. Purdue is a very large public school located in the small city of West Lafayette.
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Catholic University of America came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best General Education Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. CUA is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Washington.
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University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best General Education Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. UIUC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Champaign.
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Hofstra University landed the #9 spot in the 2021 rankings for the best graduate certificate general education programs. Located in the suburb of Hempstead, Hofstra is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
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University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best General Education Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Located in the city of Oshkosh, UW Oshkosh is a public school with a large student population.
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Here are some additional great schools for General Education students that almost earned our Best General Education Graduate Certificate Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Auburn University | Auburn, AL |
| 12 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 13 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | Baton Rouge, LA |
General Education by Region
View the Best General Education Graduate Certificate Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
General Education Related Rankings by Major
One of 14 majors within the area of study, general education has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related to Education
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 100,925 |
| Educational Administration | 44,381 |
| Teacher Education Subject Specific | 43,516 |
| Special Education | 30,639 |
| Curriculum & Instruction | 18,767 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to KOKUYO.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |
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