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Best General Education Graduate Certificate Schools in California

2023 Best General Education Graduate Certificate Schools in California

7 Colleges
$47,664 Avg Salary
$26,812 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best General Education Graduate Certificate School for You

General Education is the #17 most popular major in California with 7,063 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

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 in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 7 schools in California to see which graduate certificate programs offered the best educational experiences 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.

2023 Best General Education Graduate Certificate Schools in California

The following schools top our list of the Best General Education Graduate Certificate Colleges.

Top California Schools for a Postbaccalaureate Certificates in General Education

Our analysis found Claremont Graduate University to be the best school for general education students who want to pursue a graduate certificate in California. Claremont Graduate University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Claremont.

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Out of the 7 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a fairly large student population.

While working on their Graduate Certificate, education majors at UC Berkeley accumulate an average of around $18,850 in student debt.

Full General Education at University of California - Berkeley Report

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The excellent graduate certificate programs at California State University - Sacramento helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best general education schools in California. Sac State is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Sacramento.

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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Azusa Pacific University is a great place for general education students working on their graduate certificate. Located in the large suburb of Azusa, Azusa Pacific is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

Read full report on General Education at Azusa Pacific University

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#5

Northcentral University

San Diego, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northcentral University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best General Education Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in the city of San Diego, Northcentral University is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

On average, education graduates from Northcentral University take out $17,571 in student loans while working on their Graduate Certificate.

Full General Education at Northcentral University Report

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With a ranking of #6, California State University - Fresno did quite well on this year’s best schools for general education students working on their graduate certificate. Fresno State is a very large public school located in the large city of Fresno.

Full General Education at California State University - Fresno Report

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California State University - Los Angeles ranked #7 on this year’s Best General Education Graduate Certificate Schools in California list. Cal State LA is a very large public school located in the city of Los Angeles.

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Best General Education Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best General Education Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 728
Oregon 767
Nevada 36
Hawaii 64
Alaska 26

General Education is one of 14 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 110,226
Educational Administration 46,469
Teacher Education Subject Specific 43,297
Special Education 36,792
Curriculum & Instruction 19,832

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 7 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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