2026 Best Value General Education Schools in Ohio
[General Education](/majors/education/general-education/education-general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 42 schools to find the best return on investment for general education students.
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2026 Best Value General Education Schools in Ohio
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Education Schools
Leading the list is Stark State College, our #1 best value for general education in Ohio. Located in the suburb of North Canton, Stark State College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $4,790 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $7,886. General Education graduates carry a median of $15,957 in student loans. General Education graduates of Stark State College earn a median of $42,724 early in their careers. Set against $15,957 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in general education will find it at Wright State University Main Campus, which ranked #2. Set in the suburb of Dayton, Wright State University Main Campus is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,991, while out-of-state students pay about $20,691. General Education graduates carry a median of $25,836 in student loans. Early-career general education graduates make about $49,077. That is a strong return on a $25,836 median debt. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
Washington State Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general education, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the town of Marietta, Washington State Community College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $4,128 in tuition and fees, compared with $4,152 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $16,291. General Education graduates of Washington State Community College earn a median of $45,305 early in their careers. Set against $16,291 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Ohio State University Main Campus earned it the #4 place for general education. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State University Main Campus is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $13,244, with out-of-state students paying around $40,022. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $22,053. General Education graduates of Ohio State University Main Campus earn a median of $60,633 early in their careers. Set against $22,053 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 61%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Bluffton University earned it the #5 place for general education. Set in the rural area of Bluffton, Bluffton University is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $37,362. Students borrow a median of $29,000 to complete the general education program here. Early-career general education graduates make about $41,821. That is a strong return on a $29,000 median debt. Roughly 67% of applicants are accepted.
Central State University placed #6 among the best values for general education. Central State University is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Wilberforce. Students from in state pay about $8,058 in tuition and fees, compared with $10,058 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $31,318. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Central State University generally make around $27,388. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 99%.
Walsh University came in at #7 for value in general education this year. Walsh University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of North Canton. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $33,030. Students borrow a median of $28,064 to complete the general education program here. Early-career general education graduates make about $53,629. Set against $28,064 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 71% of applicants are accepted.
Kent State University At Kent earned the #8 position for value in general education this year. Located in the suburb of Kent, Kent State University At Kent is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $12,220 in tuition and fees, compared with $21,575 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $30,782. Early-career general education graduates make about $37,370. Set against $30,782 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Muskingum University came in at #9 for value in general education this year. Muskingum University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of New Concord. Students from in state pay about $31,701 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,932 to complete the general education program here. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Muskingum University generally make around $39,918. That is a strong return on a $26,932 median debt. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
Franklin University earned the #10 position for value in general education this year. Franklin University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Columbus. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,577. Students borrow a median of $35,890 to complete the general education program here. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Franklin University generally make around $57,471. That is a strong return on a $35,890 median debt.
Wilmington College landed the #11 spot for general education value this year. Set in the town of Wilmington, Wilmington College is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $32,082. General Education graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. General Education graduates of Wilmington College earn a median of $37,015 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 92%.
The University Of Findlay landed the #12 spot for general education value this year. The University Of Findlay is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Findlay. Students from in state pay about $41,164 in tuition and fees. General Education graduates carry a median of $25,759 in student loans. Early-career general education graduates make about $49,309. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
Franciscan University Of Steubenville ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best value general education schools. Set in the city of Steubenville, Franciscan University Of Steubenville is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,100. General Education graduates carry a median of $25,029 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Franciscan University Of Steubenville generally make around $43,020. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 58%.
Miami University Oxford ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best value general education schools. Set in the town of Oxford, Miami University Oxford is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,519, while out-of-state students pay about $38,965. General Education graduates carry a median of $24,177 in student loans. General Education graduates of Miami University Oxford earn a median of $49,700 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,177 median debt. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
John Carroll University came in at #15 for value in general education this year. Set in the suburb of University Heights, John Carroll University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $50,500. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the general education program here. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from John Carroll University generally make around $37,978. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
More General Education Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 42 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
