2023 Best General Education Master's Degree Schools
Finding the Best General Education Master's Degree School for You
General Education is the #39 most popular major in the country with 29,810 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best General Education Master's Degree Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 301 schools in the United States to see which master's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best General Education Master's Degree Colleges.
Top 25 Top Schools for a Master's in General Education
Our 2023 rankings named Claremont Graduate University the best school in the United States for general education students working on their master’s degree. Located in the large suburb of Claremont, Claremont Graduate University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Request Information
The excellent master’s degree programs at Stanford University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best general education schools in the United States. Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools list. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston.
Request Information
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Whitworth University is a great place for general education students working on their master’s degree. Located in the large suburb of Spokane, Whitworth is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
Read full report on General Education at Whitworth University
Request Information
Out of the 301 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Brandman University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Brandman is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Irvine.
Read full report on General Education at Brandman University
Request Information
University of Pennsylvania came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools ranking. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia.
Request Information
Harvard University ranked #7 on this year’s Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools list. Harvard is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge.
Read full report on General Education at Harvard University
Request Information
University of Washington - Tacoma Campus landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree general education programs. UW Tacoma is a medium-sized public school located in the medium-sized city of Tacoma.
Full General Education at University of Washington - Tacoma Campus Report
Request Information
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for general education students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on General Education at California State University - Sacramento
Request Information
With a ranking of #10, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on this year’s best schools for general education students working on their master’s degree. Located in the large city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
Read full report on General Education at Johns Hopkins University
Request Information
With a ranking of #11, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on this year’s best schools for general education students working on their master’s degree. UC Berkeley is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Berkeley.
Read full report on General Education at University of California - Berkeley
Request Information
University of Puget Sound ranked #12 on this year’s Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools list. Puget Sound is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Tacoma.
Read full report on General Education at University of Puget Sound
Request Information
York College of Pennsylvania did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for general education students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #13 on the list. YCP is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of York.
Request Information
University of San Diego did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for general education students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #14 on the list. USD is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of San Diego.
Read full report on General Education at University of San Diego
Request Information
Westminster College Pennsylvania did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for general education students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in the fringe town of New Wilmington, Westminster New Wilmington is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Read full report on General Education at Westminster College Pennsylvania
Request Information
Gonzaga University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for general education students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #16 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Spokane, Gonzaga is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
Read full report on General Education at Gonzaga University
Request Information
Point Loma Nazarene University landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree general education programs. PLNU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of San Diego.
Request Information
California State University - San Marcos ranked #18 on this year’s Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools list. Located in the suburb of San Marcos, CSUSM is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Full General Education at California State University - San Marcos Report
Request Information
University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public college with a very large student population.
Request Information
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree general education programs. UIUC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Champaign.
Full General Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Report
Request Information
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the suburb of Pomona, Cal Poly Pomona is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on General Education at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
Request Information
Seattle Pacific University ranked #22 on this year’s Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools list. SPU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Seattle.
Full General Education at Seattle Pacific University Report
Request Information
California State University - Long Beach ranked #23 on this year’s Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools list. CSULB is a fairly large public school located in the city of Long Beach.
Full General Education at California State University - Long Beach Report
Request Information
University of California - Los Angeles ranked #24 on this year’s Best General Education Master’s Degree Schools list. UCLA is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Request Information
Saint Mary’s College of California landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree general education programs. SMC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Moraga.
Request InformationRest of the Top Best General Education Master's Degree Schools
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best General Education Master's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 46 | Minot State University | Minot, ND |
| 47 | University of California - San Diego | La Jolla, CA |
| 48 | California State University - Bakersfield | Bakersfield, CA |
| 49 | National University | La Jolla, CA |
| 50 | Goucher College | Baltimore, MD |
| 51 | Hamline University | Saint Paul, MN |
| 52 | James Madison University | Harrisonburg, VA |
| 53 | Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota | Winona, MN |
| 54 | University of California - Riverside | Riverside, CA |
| 55 | California State University - Stanislaus | Turlock, CA |
| 56 | Saint Joseph’s University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 57 | Elmhurst University | Elmhurst, IL |
| 58 | University of Georgia | Athens, GA |
| 58 | Northwest University - College of Adult and Professional Studies | Kirkland, WA |
| 60 | Fairfield University | Fairfield, CT |
General Education by Region
View the Best General Education Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More General Education Rankings
Related Programs
Learn about other programs related to General Education that might interest you.
MEd in Curriculum & Instruction
Enhance your career as a teacher or administrator or prepare to advance to a leadership position within your school with this specialized online MEd from Southern New Hampshire University.
MS in Higher Education Administration
Learn how strategic leadership, data-driven resource management and a culture centered on student success can enhance colleges and universities with this online master's from Southern New Hampshire University.
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 | 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 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.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.