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Best Value General Education Schools in New York

2023 Best Value General Education Schools in New York

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

18 Colleges
$34,062 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$39,242 Avg Salary

Finding the Best General Education School for You

In 2020-2021, 604 degrees and certificates were awarded to general education students who went to a New York college or university. This makes it the #102 most popular major in the state.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value General Education Schools in New York ranking. Our analysis looked at 18 schools in New York 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.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

Top 10 Best General Education Schools

#1

SUNY Empire State College

Saratoga Springs, NY
$7,630 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found SUNY Empire State College to be the best value school for general education students who want to pursue a degree in New York. SUNY Empire is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Saratoga Springs.

SUNY Empire undergraduate students pay an average of $7,630 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, education majors at SUNY Empire accumulate an average of around $23,886 in student debt.

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#2

Binghamton University

Vestal, NY
$10,390 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Binghamton University is a great value for general education students. Binghamton University is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Vestal.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Binghamton University are $10,390 per year.

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#3

University at Albany

Albany, NY
$10,408 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University at Albany. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in New York list. Located in the small city of Albany, UAlbany is a public college with a fairly large student population.

UAlbany undergraduate students pay an average of $10,408 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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#4

Manhattanville College

Purchase, NY
$40,380 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 18 schools in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, Manhattanville College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the large suburb of Purchase, Manhattanville is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Manhattanville undergraduate students pay an average of $40,380 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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#5

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY
$10,782 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 18 schools in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, University at Buffalo landed the # 5 spot on the list. University at Buffalo is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Buffalo.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at University at Buffalo are $10,782 per year.

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#6

Canisius College

Buffalo, NY
$30,910 Average Tuition & Fees

Canisius College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in New York list. Located in the city of Buffalo, Canisius is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Canisius are $30,910 per year.

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#7

Nazareth College

Rochester, NY
$37,590 Average Tuition & Fees

Nazareth College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in New York ranking. Located in the large suburb of Rochester, Nazareth is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Nazareth are $37,590 per year.

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#8

Le Moyne College

Syracuse, NY
$36,610 Average Tuition & Fees

Le Moyne College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value general education programs. LeMoyne is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Syracuse.

LeMoyne undergraduate students pay an average of $36,610 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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#9

Hofstra University

Hempstead, NY
$51,360 Average Tuition & Fees

Hofstra University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for general education students. It came in at #9 on the list. Hofstra is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Hempstead.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Hofstra are $51,360 a year.

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#10

Mercy College

Dobbs Ferry, NY
$20,734 Average Tuition & Fees

Mercy 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 suburb of Dobbs Ferry, Mercy is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

Mercy undergraduate students pay an average of $20,734 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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Best Value General Education Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Value General Education Schools in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Pennsylvania 1,014
Maryland 1,286
New Jersey 702
District of Columbia 79
Delaware 134

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 18 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.

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