2023 Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools and bootcamps that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
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 in the Southeast Region ranking. This report analyzed 177 schools in the Southeast 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.
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. 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.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
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Top Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Columbia Southern University the best value school in the Southeast Region for students working on their graduate certificate. Orange Beach, Alabama is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 58 students in 2020-2021.
Columbia Southern University graduate students pay an average of $4,035 in tuition and fees each year. Graduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $31,086 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Columbia Southern University. Every 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 15% of our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region ranking.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means American Public University System is a great place for students working on their graduate certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. This large private for-profit school is located in Charles Town, West Virginia, and it awarded 404 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
American Military University graduate students pay an average of $7,050 in tuition and fees each year.
American Military 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.
American Military University excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region list.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Furman University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region list. Greenville, South Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 40 students in 2020-2021.
Furman graduate students pay an average of $7,513 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Furman does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In fact, around 8% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Furman excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region list.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Piedmont College is a great place for students working on their graduate certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Piedmont College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Demorest, Georgia that handed out 469 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Piedmont College are $11,020 per year.
Online graduate courses are available at Piedmont College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 88% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Piedmont College also did well on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Delta State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region list. Cleveland, Mississippi is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 1 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Delta State University are $8,360 per year.
Online graduate courses are available at Delta State University, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 97% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Wheeling University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Wheeling, West Virginia is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 2 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Wheeling University are $10,160 a year.
Wheeling 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.
Carson - Newman University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. Jefferson City, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 59 students in 2020-2021.
Carson - Newman graduate students pay an average of $9,632 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Carson - Newman. In fact, around 85% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #8, Henderson State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, the small public school awarded 73 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Henderson State University are $9,108 a year.
Online graduate courses are available at Henderson State University, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 89% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Hodges 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 #9 on the list. International College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naples, Florida. The school has a very small population, and it awarded 4 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at International College are $15,440 per year.
International College is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
International College did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region list.
Union College Kentucky 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. Union College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Barbourville, Kentucky. The school has a small population, and it awarded 38 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Union College are $8,210 a year.
Online graduate courses are available at Union College, 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 98% took at least some of their classes online.
Liberty University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. Located in Lynchburg, Virginia, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 1,102 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Liberty University are $8,360 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Liberty University. In fact, around 97% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Lindsey Wilson College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. Lindsey Wilson College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Columbia, Kentucky that handed out 38 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Lindsey Wilson College are $9,719 a year.
Lindsey Wilson College does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 64% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
University of Lynchburg came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Lynchburg is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lynchburg, Virginia. It awarded 63 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Lynchburg are $11,759 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Lynchburg does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 78% took at least some of their classes online.
Nicholls State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Nicholls State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Thibodaux, Louisiana. It awarded 103 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Nicholls State University graduate students pay an average of $9,177 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that Nicholls State University does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 68% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #15, Herzing University - Atlanta did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, the very small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Herzing University - Atlanta are $11,680 a year.
Herzing University - Atlanta 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, 97% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Eastern Mennonite University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and it awarded 40 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Eastern Mennonite graduate students pay an average of $15,270 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Eastern Mennonite. During the 2019-2020 year, about 82% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Eastern Mennonite also is in the top 10% of our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region ranking.
With a ranking of #17, Herzing University - Birmingham did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Located in Birmingham, Alabama, the very small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Herzing University - Birmingham are $11,680 per year.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Herzing University - Birmingham. Every graduate student at the school took at least one class online.
With a ranking of #18, Union University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Located in Jackson, Tennessee, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 16 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Union are $11,666 a year.
Union 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, 70% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Arkansas State University - Main Campus landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. A-State is a fairly large public school situated in Jonesboro, Arkansas. It awarded 710 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at A-State are $11,408 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since A-State does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. 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.
Freed-Hardeman University landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. Located in Henderson, Tennessee, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 15 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
FHU graduate students pay an average of $10,980 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at FHU. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 87% took at least some of their classes online.
Converse 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 #21 on the list. Located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 15 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Converse graduate students pay an average of $7,698 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Converse. 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.
With a ranking of #22, Pfeiffer University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Misenheimer, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 1 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Pfeiffer University are $12,240 a year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Pfeiffer University. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 70% took at least some of their classes online.
Gardner - Webb 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 #23 on the list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, and it awarded 139 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Gardner - Webb graduate students pay an average of $10,130 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Gardner - Webb does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 59% took at least some of their classes online.
University of West Alabama did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #24 on the list. Located in Livingston, Alabama, the medium-sized public school handed out 186 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
University of West Alabama graduate students pay an average of $13,546 in tuition and fees each year.
Online graduate courses are available at University of West Alabama, 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 96% took at least some of their classes online.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, University of West Alabama also did well on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Wingate 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 #25 on the list. Wingate is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wingate, North Carolina. It awarded 18 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Wingate are $11,700 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Wingate. In 2019-2020 about 18% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Rest of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region of the U.S.
Not only did these schools make the list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Narrow Schools by State
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Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our best schools ranking:
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | Southern Wesleyan University | Central, SC |
| 29 | Louisiana Tech University | Ruston, LA |
| 30 | Columbia International University | Columbia, SC |
| 31 | Bellarmine University | Louisville, KY |
| 32 | Augusta University | Augusta, GA |
| 33 | University of Southern Mississippi | Hattiesburg, MS |
| 33 | Georgia Southwestern State University | Americus, GA |
| 35 | University of Central Arkansas | Conway, AR |
| 35 | Valdosta State University | Valdosta, GA |
More Southeast 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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