Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

General Social Sciences

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

23 Ranked Colleges
319 Degrees Awarded
$12,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

General Social Sciences is the 51st most popular major in the country with 19,742 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, general social sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $31,665 and had an average of $22,423 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 610 general social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,420 and $26,661 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 319 general social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer a degree in general social sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general social sciences programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general social sciences program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $1,866 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern University General Social Sciences Report

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 8 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $3,166 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#3

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan State University landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 129 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $6,686 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k 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 General Social Sciences at Michigan State University

#4

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #4 spot on the list. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 10 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $8,366 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 more about General Social Sciences at UW - River Falls

#9 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large public school situated in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It awarded 5 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $11,868 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Social Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

#6

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#8 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Platteville came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a public institution located in Platteville, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $12,117 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville.

Read more about General Social Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

#7

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stout came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Stout is a public institution located in Menomonie, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stout also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout is $10,695 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stout General Social Sciences Report

#8

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Grand Valley State University is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, GVSU has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,578 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Grand Valley State University.

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 General Social Sciences at GVSU

#15 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Flint ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UM Flint is a public institution located in Flint, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UM Flint, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Flint is $7,955 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Social Sciences at UM Flint

#10

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Indiana University - Southeast did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Southeast is located in New Albany, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Indiana University - Southeast, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $6,697 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Southeast.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Indiana University - Southeast

#11

Denison University

Granville, Ohio
#4 in overall quality

Denison University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Denison University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Granville, Ohio. It awarded 5 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Denison, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,990 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Denison.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 85%. 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.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Denison University

University of Michigan - Dearborn ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Dearborn, Michigan, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UM Dearborn also took the #16 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $6,751 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Michigan - Dearborn General Social Sciences Report

#13

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#11 in overall quality

Central Michigan University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 2 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Central Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $11,598 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Central Michigan University

#14

Shawnee State University

Portsmouth, Ohio

Shawnee State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Portsmouth, Ohio, this small public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Shawnee State University, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Shawnee State University is $13,697 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Shawnee State University General Social Sciences Report

#15

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio
#18 in overall quality

Cleveland State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cleveland State University is a public institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cleveland State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,213 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cleveland State University.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Cleveland State University

#16

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

McKendree University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Lebanon, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

McKendree also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend McKendree University is $15,184 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at McKendree University

#17

Hiram College

Hiram, Ohio
#17 in overall quality

Hiram College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Hiram is a small school located in Hiram, Ohio that handed out 3 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Hiram did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Hiram College is $21,421 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Social Sciences at Hiram College

#21 in overall quality

University of Akron Main Campus landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Akron, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

University of Akron Main Campus also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $14,816 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Akron Main Campus.

Read more about General Social Sciences at University of Akron Main Campus

#19

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bourbonnais, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,806 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.

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

Full Olivet Nazarene University General Social Sciences Report

#20

Carthage College

Kenosha, Wisconsin
#10 in overall quality

Carthage College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Carthage College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It awarded 2 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Carthage did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $24,480 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Carthage.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 General Social Sciences at Carthage

#21

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Roosevelt University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Roosevelt also took the #20 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt University is $20,398 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Roosevelt University

#22

Andrews University

Berrien Springs, Michigan
#22 in overall quality

Andrews University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Berrien Springs, Michigan, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Andrews did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,868 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Andrews University.

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 4.8% 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 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Andrews University

#23

Rockford University

Rockford, Illinois

Rockford University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Rockford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rockford, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Rockford also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Rockford is $21,868 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Rockford

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Credits

Featured Political and Social Sciences Schools

Find Schools Near You