Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Value General Education Schools

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Value General Education Schools

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

476 Colleges
$21,499 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$48,719 Avg Salary

Finding the Best General Education 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value General Education Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 476 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best value experiences for education students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value General Education Schools in the United States

The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for education majors pursuing a .

Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality in General Education

#1

La Salle University

Philadelphia, PA
$33,150 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named La Salle University the best value school in the United States for general education students. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, La Salle is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at La Salle are $33,150 per year.

Read full report on General Education at La Salle University

#2

Cabrini University

Radnor, PA
$33,845 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Cabrini University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools list. Cabrini University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Radnor.

Cabrini University undergraduate students pay an average of $33,845 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that education majors at Cabrini University take out is $27,000.

Read More…

#3

Martin Luther College

New Ulm, MN
$16,910 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Martin Luther College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best general education schools in the United States. Located in the distant town of New Ulm, MLC is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at MLC are $16,910 a year.

Read full report on General Education at Martin Luther College

$4,995 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Santa Fe Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Education Schools list. Located in the small suburb of Santa Fe, SFCC is a public school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SFCC are $4,995 per year.

Read full report on General Education at Santa Fe Community College

#5

Bellevue University

Bellevue, NE

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Bellevue University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools list. Located in the large suburb of Bellevue, Bellevue University is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Bellevue University undergraduate students pay an average of $8,310 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that education majors at Bellevue University take out is $25,000.

In addition to its great value ranking, Bellevue University is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best General Education Schools list.

Full General Education at Bellevue University Report

$5,010 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, Northeast Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general education students. Northeast is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Norfolk.

Northeast undergraduate students pay an average of $5,010 in tuition and fees each year.

Full General Education at Northeast Community College Report

#7

Worcester State University

Worcester, MA
$16,666 Average Tuition & Fees

Worcester State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for general education students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Worcester, Worcester State is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Worcester State are $16,666 a year.

Read full report on General Education at Worcester State University

#8

Morningside College

Sioux City, IA
$35,270 Average Tuition & Fees

Morningside College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools ranking. Located in the small city of Sioux City, Morningside is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Morningside undergraduate students pay an average of $35,270 in tuition and fees each year.

Read More…

$5,550 Average Tuition & Fees

Rowan College of South Jersey Gloucester Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools list. RCSJ is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Sewell.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at RCSJ are $5,550 per year. On average, education graduates from RCSJ take out $9,808 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on General Education at Rowan College of South Jersey Gloucester Campus

$7,250 Average Tuition & Fees

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for general education students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the rural area of Perkinston, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College are $7,250 per year.

Full General Education at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Report

#11

Whitworth University

Spokane, WA

Whitworth University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools ranking. Located in the suburb of Spokane, Whitworth is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Whitworth are $47,590 per year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Whitworth also is in the top 20% of our Best General Education Schools ranking.

Read More…

#12

Brandman University

Irvine, CA

Brandman University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools list. Brandman is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Irvine.

Brandman undergraduate students pay an average of $12,480 in tuition and fees each year.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, Brandman also did well on our Best General Education Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Read More…

$26,060 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #13, Southwest Baptist University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general education students. Located in the distant town of Bolivar, Southwest Baptist University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Southwest Baptist University undergraduate students pay an average of $26,060 in tuition and fees each year.

Read More…

University of Northwestern - St Paul did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for general education students. It came in at #13 on the list. Northwestern is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Saint Paul.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northwestern are $34,180 per year.

Full General Education at University of Northwestern - St Paul Report

York College of Pennsylvania ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools list. YCP is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of York.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at YCP are $22,350 a year.

YCP excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best General Education Schools list.

Read More…

Minot State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for general education students. It came in at #16 on the list. MSU is a small public school located in the remote town of Minot.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at MSU are $8,163 a year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, MSU also is in the top 20% of our Best General Education Schools ranking.

Full General Education at Minot State University Report

#17

Delta State University

Cleveland, MS
$8,360 Average Tuition & Fees

Delta State University landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value general education programs. Delta State University is a small public school located in the town of Cleveland.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Delta State University are $8,360 per year.

Full General Education at Delta State University Report

Point Loma Nazarene University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for general education students. It came in at #18 on the list. PLNU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of San Diego.

PLNU undergraduate students pay an average of $39,500 in tuition and fees each year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, PLNU also is in the top 20% of our Best General Education Schools ranking.

Read More…

#19

Grand View University

Des Moines, IA
$30,954 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #19, Grand View University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general education students. Grand View University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Des Moines.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Grand View University are $30,954 per year.

Read More…

Southwest Minnesota State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools list. Located in the remote town of Marshall, Southwest Minnesota State University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Southwest Minnesota State University are $9,482 a year.

Read More…

#21

Goucher College

Baltimore, MD

Goucher College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools ranking. Goucher is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Baltimore.

Goucher undergraduate students pay an average of $48,200 in tuition and fees each year.

Read More…

#22

Stark State College

North Canton, OH
$7,406 Average Tuition & Fees

Stark State College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for general education students. It came in at #22 on the list. Stark State College is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of North Canton.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Stark State College are $7,406 a year. While working on their degree, education majors at Stark State College accumulate an average of around $16,160 in student debt.

Read More…

#23

Wilson College

Chambersburg, PA
$26,200 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #23, Wilson College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general education students. Located in the city of Chambersburg, Wilson is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Wilson are $26,200 a year.

Read More…

#24

Calvin University

Grand Rapids, MI

With a ranking of #24, Calvin University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for general education students. Located in the midsize city of Grand Rapids, Calvin is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Calvin are $38,240 per year.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, Calvin also did well on our Best General Education Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Full General Education at Calvin University Report

#25

Southern Maine Community College

South Portland, ME
$6,754 Average Tuition & Fees

Southern Maine Community College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools list. Located in the city of South Portland, SMCC is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SMCC are $6,754 per year. After completing their degree, education graduates from SMCC carry an average student debtload of $14,725.

Full General Education at Southern Maine Community College Report

Rest of the Top Best Value General Education Schools

#26

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, MN
#29

Westminster College Pennsylvania

New Wilmington, PA
#30

Winona State University

Winona, MN
#31

Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor, MI
#33

Ivy Tech Community College

Indianapolis, IN
#34

Union College Kentucky

Barbourville, KY
#35

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, IN
#37

Walden University

Minneapolis, MN
#38

Bethel University Minnesota

Saint Paul, MN
#38

Muskingum University

New Concord, OH
#41

Gonzaga University

Spokane, WA
#42

Hamline University

Saint Paul, MN
#44

Pima Community College

Tucson, AZ
#45

Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA
#45

Lehigh Carbon Community College

Schnecksville, PA
#47

University of Saint Mary

Leavenworth, KS
#47

Wilmington University

New Castle, DE

Additional Award Winners

This section shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best Value General Education Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 476 different United States general education schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Peru State College Peru, NE
52 Baldwin Wallace University Berea, OH
53 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ
54 NHTI-Concord’s Community College Concord, NH
55 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
56 Clayton State University Morrow, GA
56 Concordia University, Texas Lakeway, TX
58 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
59 University of North Alabama Florence, AL
60 Baker University Baldwin City, KS
61 Converse College Spartanburg, SC
62 East Texas Baptist University Marshall, TX
62 University of Delaware Newark, DE
64 Bluffton University Bluffton, OH
65 Messiah University Mechanicsburg, PA
66 Notre Dame de Namur University Belmont, CA
66 National University La Jolla, CA
68 Delaware State University Dover, DE
69 Simpson University Redding, CA
70 Saint Michael’s College Colchester, VT
71 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA

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 Value General Education Schools award.

Rank College Location
72 Western Illinois University Macomb, IL
73 California State University - Channel Islands Camarillo, CA
74 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Pomona, CA
75 California State University - San Marcos San Marcos, CA
75 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
77 Whittier College Whittier, CA
78 Heritage University Toppenish, WA
79 University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS
80 Northwest University - College of Adult and Professional Studies Kirkland, WA
81 Midway University Midway, KY
81 Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA
83 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
84 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
85 Fort Hays State University Hays, KS
86 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
87 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
88 Brookdale Community College Lincroft, NJ
89 Notre Dame of Maryland University Baltimore, MD
89 Piedmont College Demorest, GA
91 Lindenwood University Saint Charles, MO
92 Saint Joseph’s College of Maine Standish, ME
92 Cumberland University Lebanon, TN
94 Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA
95 McKendree University Lebanon, IL

General Education by Region

View the Best Value General Education Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

One of 14 majors within the area of study, general education has other similar majors worth exploring.

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.

  • 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.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.