2023 Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. 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 and bootcamps 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 Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This report analyzed 129 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region to see which ones offered the best value graduate certificate programs for students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. 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.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
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Top Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named La Salle University the best value school in the Middle Atlantic Region for students working on their graduate certificate. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 graduate certificate awards 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.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Hood College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Frederick, Maryland, and it awarded 90 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Hood are $9,080 a year. Graduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $16,880 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Hood does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 43% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
In addition to its great value ranking, Hood is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend McDaniel College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. McDaniel is located in Westminster, Maryland and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 196 graduate certificates to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at McDaniel are $9,568 a year. By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,375 in student loans.
Since the graduate programs at McDaniel are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, McDaniel also is in the top 20% of our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Scranton. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. University of Scranton is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It awarded 17 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at University of Scranton are $11,630 per year.
University of Scranton 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. During the 2019-2020 year, about 93% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
University of Scranton excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means The College of New Jersey is a great place for students working on their graduate certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. TCNJ is a public institution located in Ewing, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 116 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at TCNJ are $15,031 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since TCNJ does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 99% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
TCNJ also took the #4 spot in our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region rankings.
York College of Pennsylvania landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. Located in York, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at YCP are $11,646 a year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at YCP. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 25% took at least some of their classes online.
Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Teaneck, New Jersey that handed out 84 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at FDU are $10,722 a year.
FDU is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Full Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus Report
The College of Saint Rose ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Saint Rose is located in Albany, New York and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,017 graduate certificates to qualified students.
Saint Rose graduate students pay an average of $15,748 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Saint Rose. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 39% took at least some of their classes online.
Saint Rose also claimed a spot on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
University of Maryland Global Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. University of Maryland Global Campus is a large public school located in Adelphi, Maryland that handed out 473 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at UMGC are $12,132 a year.
UMGC does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 91% took at least some of their classes online.
Marywood University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Marywood is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It awarded 13 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Marywood graduate students pay an average of $11,438 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Marywood. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 33% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #11, Cedar Crest College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 53 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Cedar Crest graduate students pay an average of $14,719 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Cedar Crest. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 79% took at least some of their classes online.
Messiah University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Messiah is located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 51 graduate certificates to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Messiah are $13,050 a year.
Messiah does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 90% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Saint Joseph’s University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 27 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at St. Joe’s are $18,144 per year. By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $37,827 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at St. Joe’s. In 2019-2020 about 94% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, St. Joe’s also is in the top 10% of our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking.
Salisbury University landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. Salisbury is a medium-sized public school situated in Salisbury, Maryland. It awarded 15 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Salisbury are $15,765 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Salisbury. In fact, around 96% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Salisbury also did well on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Notre Dame of Maryland University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 54 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at NDMU are $13,711 a year.
Online graduate courses are available at NDMU, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 61% took at least some of their classes online.
Thomas Edison State University landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. Trenton, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 25 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at TESU are $12,024 per year.
Since the graduate programs at TESU are primarily online, it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
Russell Sage 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 #17 on the list. Located in Troy, New York, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 46 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Russel Sage are $13,140 per year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Russel Sage. In 2019-2020 about 61% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Niagara University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in Niagara University, New York, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 54 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Niagara are $13,950 per year.
Niagara 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, 83% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Montclair State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in Montclair, New Jersey, the large public school handed out 265 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Montclair State are $13,519 a year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Montclair State. In 2019-2020 about 91% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Villanova University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Villanova is located in Villanova, Pennsylvania and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 266 graduate certificates to qualified students.
Villanova graduate students pay an average of $21,199 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that Villanova does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 89% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Villanova also made our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list, coming in at #5.
With a ranking of #21, Mount St Mary’s University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and it awarded 39 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at The Mount are $13,676 a year.
The Mount does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 48% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized public school located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 21 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Bloomsburg are $16,731 per year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Bloomsburg. In fact, around 91% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Clarion University of Pennsylvania ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Clarion University of Pennsylvania is a small public school located in Clarion, Pennsylvania that handed out 21 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Clarion University graduate students pay an average of $13,862 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that Clarion University does offer online graduate classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 84% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #24, Canisius College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Canisius College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Buffalo, New York that handed out 50 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Canisius are $15,870 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Canisius. During the 2019-2020 year, about 84% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
West Chester University of Pennsylvania ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. WCUPA is a public institution located in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 212 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at WCUPA are $16,758 per year.
One thing to take note of is that WCUPA does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In fact, around 98% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
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Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our best schools ranking:
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | Rowan University | Glassboro, NJ |
More Middle Atlantic 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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