2023 Best Value Colleges for General Social Sciences (Income $30-$48k)
148
Ranked Colleges
18,997
Degrees Awarded
$5,800
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
General Social Sciences is the 54th most popular major in the country with 18,997 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, general social sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $32,991 and had an average of $24,438 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 148 colleges that offer a degree in general social sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general social sciences programs, but they also cost less that 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.
More Ways to Rank General Social Sciences Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Social Sciences (Income $30-$48k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 185 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $4,777 for Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Chicago.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 1.0%, 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 100%.
Read more about General Social Sciences at UChicago
Out of the 148 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #2 spot on the list. Harvard is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 188 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $1,396 for Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Harvard.
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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about General Social Sciences at Harvard
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 258 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Vanderbilt also made our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $4,652 for Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at Vanderbilt University
Out of the 148 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #4 spot on the list. Columbia University in the City of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $4,699 for Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at Columbia
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Johns Hopkins University is a large school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 43 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Johns Hopkins, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins is $4,859 for social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Johns Hopkins University General Social Sciences Report
Northwestern University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 4 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $917 for Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at Northwestern
With a ranking of #7, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 86 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,399 for Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 UW Seattle General Social Sciences Report
Florida State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Florida State is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 301 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $7,349 for social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Florida State University.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at Florida State
Santa Rosa Junior College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Santa Rosa Junior College is a public institution located in Santa Rosa, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 461 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SRJC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $5,800 for Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Santa Rosa Junior College.
Read more about General Social Sciences at SRJC
University of Minnesota - Morris ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Minnesota - Morris is a small school located in Morris, Minnesota that handed out 3 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UMN Morris is $2,230 for social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at University of Minnesota - Morris
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also took the #22 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $5,670 for social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Social Sciences at U-M
With a ranking of #12, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 158 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,632 for Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USF Tampa.
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 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full USF Tampa General Social Sciences Report
Boston College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Boston College is a fairly large school located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that handed out 2 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boston College, the school also landed the # spot in our "" ranking. The yearly cost to attend Boston College is $7,075 for Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at Boston College
Colgate University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Hamilton, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.
Colgate did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed # on our "" list. The estimated yearly cost for Colgate University is $7,197 for social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about General Social Sciences at Colgate
Washington State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Washington State University is located in Pullman, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 337 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Wazzu has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wazzu is $8,719 for Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Full Wazzu General Social Sciences Report
University of California - Irvine came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,449 for social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Irvine.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Full University of California - Irvine General Social Sciences Report
The University of West Florida landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Pensacola, Florida, this fairly large public school awarded 40 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UWF is $3,827 for social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about General Social Sciences at The University of West Florida
Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Arizona State University - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
ASU - Tempe excels when it comes to social sciences quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $10,628 for Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Arizona State University - 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Social Sciences at ASU - Tempe
With a ranking of #19, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $8,581 for Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio State.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, 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 94%.
Read more about General Social Sciences at Ohio State
California State University - Stanislaus ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 66 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $4,903 for social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at Stan State
California State University - San Bernardino came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school handed out 21 diplomas to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,613 for social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUSB.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.
Full California State University - San Bernardino General Social Sciences Report
American River College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. American River is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 451 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for American River College is $5,547 for Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full American River General Social Sciences Report
Butte College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Oroville, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 372 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,059 for Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Butte College.
Read more about General Social Sciences at Butte College
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. UT Rio Grande Valley is a large public school situated in Edinburg, Texas. It awarded 23 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $2,912 for Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley General Social Sciences Report
University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $9,478 for Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Social Sciences at University of Wisconsin - River Falls
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