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2023 Best Value Colleges for Science, Technology & Society

21 Ranked Colleges
1,095 Degrees Awarded
$22,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Science, Technology & Society is the 419th most popular major in the country with 1,095 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

For this year’s “Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer a degree in science, technology and society. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent science, technology and society programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the science, technology and society program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Science, Technology & Society Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools

The colleges and universities below are the best for science, tech & society students.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Science, Technology & Society

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Arizona State University - Tempe. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools list. ASU - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s science, tech and society degrees to qualified students.

ASU - Tempe did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list. It costs about $13,107 for Science, Tech & Society students per year to attend ASU - Tempe.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at Arizona State University - Tempe

2
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend James Madison University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools. James Madison University is a large public school situated in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It awarded 93 ’s science, tech and society degrees in 2020-2021.

JMU also made our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for James Madison University is $22,562 for Science, Tech & Society students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at James Madison University

3
SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale crest
Farmingdale State College
Farmingdale, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Farmingdale State College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools list. Farmingdale, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s science, tech and society degrees to 293 students in 2020-2021.

SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale also made our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend Farmingdale State College is $9,002 for science, tech & society students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale

4
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Carolina State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools. North Carolina State University is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 58 ’s science, tech and society degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our science, tech & society students list, NC State has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Carolina State University is $16,411 for Science, Tech & Society students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full North Carolina State University Science, Technology & Society Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools. Norman, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s science, tech and society degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our science, tech & society students list, University of Oklahoma has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma is $21,122 for science, tech & society students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

6
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools ranking. GMU is a large school located in Fairfax, Virginia that handed out 12 ’s science, tech and society degrees in 2020-2021.

GMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend GMU is $19,551 for science, tech & society students.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Science, Technology & Society at George Mason University

7

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools ranking, coming in at #7. Georgia Tech is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 59 ’s science, tech and society degrees to qualified students.

Georgia Tech also made our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $14,974 for science, tech & society students per year to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Science, Technology & Society Report

8

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 5 ’s science, tech and society degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $14,304 for Science, Tech & Society students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

9
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools ranking, coming in at #9. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 7 ’s science, tech and society degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State also took the #17 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $19,058 for Science, Tech & Society students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at Michigan State University

10

University of California - Davis landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools ranking. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified ’s science, tech and society students in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also took the #12 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $15,768 for science, tech & society students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at University of California - Davis

11
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

With a ranking of #11, Stanford University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 63 ’s science, tech and society degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $12,894 for science, tech & society students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at Stanford

12
WPI crest
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester Polytechnic Institute did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools ranking, coming in at #12. This medium-sized school is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, and it awarded 4 ’s science, tech and society degrees in 2020-2021.

WPI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute is $42,835 for Science, Tech & Society students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at Worcester Polytechnic Institute

13
Puget Sound crest
University of Puget Sound
Tacoma, Washington

University of Puget Sound did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools ranking, coming in at #13. Puget Sound is located in Tacoma, Washington and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s science, tech and society degrees to qualified students.

Puget Sound also took the #18 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Puget Sound is $33,562 for Science, Tech & Society students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Puget Sound Science, Technology & Society Report

14
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools ranking. This fairly large school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 4 ’s science, tech and society degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Carnegie Mellon, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” ranking. It costs about $36,775 for science, tech & society students per year to attend Carnegie Mellon.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Carnegie Mellon Science, Technology & Society Report

15
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools ranking. Georgetown University is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 132 ’s science, tech and society degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Georgetown, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgetown University is $32,108 for Science, Tech & Society students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Georgetown University Science, Technology & Society Report

16

University of Washington - Bothell Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools ranking, coming in at #16. University of Washington - Bothell Campus is a public institution located in Bothell, Washington. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Bothell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list. It costs about $11,562 for science, tech & society students per year to attend University of Washington - Bothell Campus.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UW Bothell Science, Technology & Society Report

17
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools ranking. Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also took the #8 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt University is $19,970 for Science, Tech & Society students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at Vanderbilt

18

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools list. Located in Troy, New York, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified ’s science, tech and society students in 2020-2021.

RPI also took the #4 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is $33,937 for Science, Tech & Society students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full RPI Science, Technology & Society Report

19
Colby crest
Colby College
Waterville, Maine

Colby College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools ranking. Colby College is located in Waterville, Maine and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s science, tech and society degrees to qualified students.

Colby also made our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Colby is $19,597 for Science, Tech & Society students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Science, Technology & Society at Colby

20
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools list. This small school is located in Poughkeepsie, New York, and it awarded 11 ’s science, tech and society degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vassar, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vassar College is $27,499 for Science, Tech & Society students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Science, Technology & Society at Vassar College

21
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools ranking, coming in at #21. Medford, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s science, tech and society degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

Tufts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Tufts is $37,494 for Science, Tech & Society students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at Tufts University

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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