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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Science, Technology & Society

23 Ranked Colleges
853 Degrees Awarded
$21,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor's

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 1,072 people earned their degree in science, technology and society, making the major the 396th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 853 science, technology and society graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer a degree in science, technology and society. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality science, technology and society programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the science, technology and society program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The science, tech & society school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Science, Technology & Society

#1

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas Tech University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s. Located in Lubbock, Texas, this large public school handed out 48 degrees to qualified bachelors’s science, tech and society students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas Tech, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,571 for Bachelor’s Degree Science, Tech & Society students per year to attend Texas Tech University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Science, Technology & Society at Texas Tech University

#2

Farmingdale State College

Farmingdale, New York
#17 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Farmingdale State College landed the #2 spot on the list. Farmingdale State College is a public institution located in Farmingdale, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 268 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $8,638 for bachelor’s degree science, tech & society students per year to attend SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale.

The low 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 Farmingdale State College

#3

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend James Madison University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s list. James Madison University is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 96 bachelors’s science, tech and society degrees to qualified students.

JMU also made our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $22,169 for bachelor’s degree science, tech & society students per year to attend James Madison University.

The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#4

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#11 in overall quality

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 for a Bachelor’s. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s science, tech and society degrees to 62 students in 2019-2020.

NC State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $16,458 for Bachelor’s Degree Science, Tech & Society students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Science, Technology & Society at NC State

#19 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s. University of Oklahoma is a large public school situated in Norman, Oklahoma. It awarded 1 bachelors’s science, tech and society degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma also made our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma is $21,145 for Bachelor’s Degree Science, Tech & Society students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, 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 students.

Full University of Oklahoma Science, Technology & Society Report

#21 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s science, tech and society degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,734 for bachelor’s degree science, tech & society students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#15 in overall quality

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #7. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 40 bachelors’s science, tech and society degrees in 2019-2020.

Georgia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $14,739 for bachelor’s degree science, tech & society students.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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

#18 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #8. ASU - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 19 bachelors’s science, tech and society degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend ASU - Tempe is $11,706 for Bachelor’s Degree Science, Tech & Society students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at ASU - Tempe

#9

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#20 in overall quality

Michigan State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 11 bachelors’s science, tech and society degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $19,173 for bachelor’s degree science, tech & society students per year to attend Michigan State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Michigan State

#16 in overall quality

University of California - Davis came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 10 bachelors’s science, tech and society degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $14,669 for Bachelor’s Degree Science, Tech & Society students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Science, Technology & Society at University of California - Davis

#11

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#4 in overall quality

Massachusetts Institute of Technology came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s science, tech and society degrees in 2019-2020.

MIT also took the #4 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,636 for Bachelor’s Degree Science, Tech & Society students per year to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

#12

University of Puget Sound

Tacoma, Washington
#22 in overall quality

University of Puget Sound did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Tacoma, Washington, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s science, tech and society students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Puget Sound, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Puget Sound is $35,149 for bachelor’s degree science, tech & society students.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at University of Puget Sound

#13

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Stanford University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 44 bachelors’s science, tech and society degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree science, tech & society students list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,496 for Bachelor’s Degree Science, Tech & Society students per year to attend Stanford University.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Science, Technology & Society at Stanford University

#14

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#12 in overall quality

Vanderbilt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #14. Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $19,432 for bachelor’s degree science, tech & society students.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 Vanderbilt Science, Technology & Society Report

#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a medium-sized school located in Troy, New York that handed out 5 bachelors’s science, tech and society degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at RPI, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for RPI is $35,464 for Bachelor’s Degree Science, Tech & Society students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Science, Technology & Society Report

#23 in overall quality

University of Washington - Bothell Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. UW Bothell is a medium-sized school located in Bothell, Washington that handed out 8 bachelors’s science, tech and society degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Bothell, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Bothell is $11,060 for Bachelor’s Degree 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Washington - Bothell Campus Science, Technology & Society Report

#17

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

Carnegie Mellon University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 4 bachelors’s science, tech and society degrees in 2019-2020.

Carnegie Mellon also made our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $34,508 for Bachelor’s Degree Science, Tech & Society students per year to attend Carnegie Mellon.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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.

Read more about Science, Technology & Society at Carnegie Mellon

#18

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia
#2 in overall quality

Georgetown University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Georgetown is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree science, tech & society students list, Georgetown has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Georgetown is $28,909 for bachelor’s degree science, tech & society students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at Georgetown

#19

Colby College

Waterville, Maine
#8 in overall quality

Colby College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Colby is located in Waterville, Maine and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s science, tech and society degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree science, tech & society students list, Colby has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Colby College is $17,777 for bachelor’s degree science, tech & society students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 Colby College

#20

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#9 in overall quality

Cornell University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Cornell University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 6 bachelors’s science, tech and society degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cornell is $40,126 for Bachelor’s Degree Science, Tech & Society students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Cornell University Science, Technology & Society Report

#21

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, New York
#13 in overall quality

Vassar College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Vassar is a private not-for-profit institution located in Poughkeepsie, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree science, tech & society students list, Vassar has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $26,208 for Bachelor’s Degree Science, Tech & Society students per year to attend Vassar.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Vassar Science, Technology & Society Report

#22

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#6 in overall quality

Brown University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #22. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s science, tech and society degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

Brown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Brown University is $29,392 for bachelor’s degree science, tech & society students.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at Brown

#23

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#14 in overall quality

Tufts University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Medford, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s science, tech and society students in 2019-2020.

Tufts also made our “Best Science, Technology & Society Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $30,744 for bachelor’s degree science, tech & society students per year to attend Tufts University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. With a 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

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Notes and References

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%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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