2026 Best Value Social Studies Education Schools in Massachusetts
[Social Studies Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-and-development/social-studies-education/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for social studies education students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Social Studies Education Schools in Massachusetts
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in social studies education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Social Studies Education Schools
Our analysis ranked Boston University the best value for a degree in social studies education in Massachusetts. Located in the city of Boston, Boston University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,102. Students borrow a median of $25,125 to complete the social studies education program here. Early-career social studies education graduates make about $67,277. That is a strong return on a $25,125 median debt. Boston University admits about 11% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Lesley University one of the best values for social studies education. Lesley University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge. In-state tuition and fees average $34,256. Social Studies Education graduates carry a median of $24,818 in student loans. Social Studies Education graduates of Lesley University earn a median of $48,287 early in their careers. Set against $24,818 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 97%.
A rank of #3 makes Merrimack College one of the best values for social studies education. Set in the suburb of North Andover, Merrimack College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $53,962. Social Studies Education graduates carry a median of $26,913 in student loans. Early-career social studies education graduates make about $50,506. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Merrimack College admits about 70% of applicants.
More Social Studies Education Rankings
View All Social Studies Education Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
