2023 Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools
Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right 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 or bootcamp 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 Value Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 773 schools in the United States to see which graduate certificate programs offered the best value experiences for 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. 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.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
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Top Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the United States
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found La Salle University to be the best value school for students who want to pursue a graduate certificate in the United States. La Salle is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 9 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
La Salle graduate students pay an average of $1,455 in tuition and fees each year.
La Salle does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 83% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
The excellent graduate certificate programs at Cabrini University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value schools in the United States. Cabrini University is located in Radnor, Pennsylvania and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 graduate certificates to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Cabrini University are $2,318 per year.
Cabrini University does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 87% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Columbia Southern University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools list. Columbia Southern University is located in Orange Beach, Alabama and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 58 graduate certificates to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Columbia Southern University are $4,035 a year. By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $31,086 in student loans.
Columbia Southern University is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Columbia Southern University also is in the top 20% of our Best Graduate Certificate Schools ranking.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Northwestern College is a great place for students working on their graduate certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Located in Orange City, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at NWC are $6,360 a year.
NWC does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 94% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, NWC also is in the top 10% of our Best Graduate Certificate Schools ranking.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stephens College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools list. Stephens is a private not-for-profit institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a very small population, and it awarded 2 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Stephens graduate students pay an average of $9,230 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Stephens does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In fact, around 37% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
In addition to its great value ranking, Stephens is in the top 1% of all schools on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools list.
With a ranking of #6, Valley City State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Valley City State University is a public institution located in Valley City, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Valley City State University graduate students pay an average of $7,723 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,849 in student loans.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Valley City State University. Every graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Valley City State University also is in the top 5% of our Best Graduate Certificate Schools ranking.
American Public University System came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Charles Town, West Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 404 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at American Military University are $7,050 per year.
Since the graduate programs at American Military University are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
American Military University also claimed a spot on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Mayville State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools list. Mayville State University is a public institution located in Mayville, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Mayville State University graduate students pay an average of $7,465 in tuition and fees each year.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Mayville State University. Every graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
In addition to its great value ranking, Mayville State University is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools list.
Simpson College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #9 on the list. Simpson College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Indianola, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Simpson College are $6,606 per year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Simpson College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 38% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Morningside College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in Sioux City, Iowa, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Morningside are $6,516 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, Morningside is an excellent choice, since graduate classes are offered online.
Furman University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. Furman University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Greenville, South Carolina that handed out 40 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Furman graduate students pay an average of $7,513 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Furman. In fact, around 8% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
In addition to its great value ranking, Furman is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools list.
With a ranking of #12, Hood College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Hood is located in Frederick, Maryland and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 90 graduate certificates to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Hood are $9,080 per year. Graduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $16,880 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Hood does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 43% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Hood also did well on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Wisconsin Lutheran College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools list. WLC is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 graduate certificates to qualified students.
WLC graduate students pay an average of $10,080 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at WLC. During the 2019-2020 year, about 75% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, WLC also is in the top 5% of our Best Graduate Certificate Schools ranking.
With a ranking of #14, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Minnesota State Mankato is a public institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 304 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Minnesota State Mankato graduate students pay an average of $9,308 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Minnesota State Mankato. In 2019-2020 about 40% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Minnesota State Mankato excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools list.
With a ranking of #15, Park University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Located in Parkville, Missouri, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 83 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Park University are $6,435 a year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Park University. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 85% took at least some of their classes online.
Northwest Missouri State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Maryville, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 59 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Northwest are $7,064 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Northwest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 86% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Western Governors University landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. Western Governors University is a large private not-for-profit school located in Salt Lake City, Utah that handed out 137 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
WGU graduate students pay an average of $7,790 in tuition and fees each year.
Since the graduate programs at WGU are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
Arizona State University - Skysong came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, the large public school handed out 263 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at ASU - Skysong are $9,982 per year.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out ASU - Skysong. Every graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
In addition to its great value ranking, ASU - Skysong is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools list.
Colorado State University - Global Campus landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. Located in Greenwood Village, Colorado, the fairly large public school awarded 233 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Colorado State University - Global Campus are $9,000 per year. On average, graduate certificate students take out $23,015 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Colorado State University - Global Campus. Every graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Colorado State University - Global Campus also did well on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full report on Colorado State University - Global Campus
Worcester State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #20 on the list. Worcester, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 132 students in 2020-2021.
Worcester State graduate students pay an average of $5,796 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Worcester State. In fact, around 62% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Mount Marty University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Yankton, South Dakota, and it awarded 1 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Mount Marty are $9,650 a year.
Mount Marty does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 91% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Mount Marty also is in the top 10% of our Best Graduate Certificate Schools ranking.
Cedarville University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Cedarville University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Cedarville, Ohio that handed out 1 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Cedarville graduate students pay an average of $9,864 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Cedarville. In 2019-2020 about 52% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Cedarville excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools list.
Viterbo University landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. Viterbo is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 285 graduate certificates to qualified students.
Viterbo graduate students pay an average of $9,488 in tuition and fees each year. Graduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $24,230 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Viterbo does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2019-2020 about 72% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Viterbo also did well on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Grantham University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools ranking. Grantham University is a private for-profit institution located in Lenexa, Kansas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 17 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Grantham University graduate students pay an average of $4,800 in tuition and fees each year.
Grantham University is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Bemidji State University landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. Bemidji State University is a small public school located in Bemidji, Minnesota that handed out 4 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Bemidji State University are $9,586 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Bemidji State University. During the 2019-2020 year, about 87% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Bemidji State University also did well on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Rest of the Top 50 Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the United States
Not only did these schools make the list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Narrow Schools by Region
Rest of the Top Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the United States
To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:
Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our best schools ranking:
More Nationwide Rankings
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- 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 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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