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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Social Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

23 Ranked Colleges
319 Degrees Awarded
$13,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer a degree in general social sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general social sciences programs and 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. 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 Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Social Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed 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 $3,995 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Northwestern University General Social Sciences Report

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 8 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $5,887 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

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.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor General Social Sciences Report

#3

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students 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 estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $10,124 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

#4

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#8 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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Platteville landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a medium-sized public school situated in Platteville, Wisconsin. It awarded 8 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Platteville, the school also landed the #8 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 - Platteville is $12,930 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at UW - Platteville

#5

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Stout is a medium-sized school located in Menomonie, Wisconsin that handed out 15 bachelors’s social sciences 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. It costs about $10,778 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.

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

#6

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 49 students in 2019-2020.

GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $12,459 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full GVSU General Social Sciences Report

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 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 $30-$48k list, UW - Whitewater has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Whitewater is $12,156 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UW - Whitewater General Social Sciences Report

#8

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 129 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $15,197 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Michigan State

#9

Denison University

Granville, Ohio
#4 in overall quality

Denison University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Granville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students 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 $13,909 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Denison University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, 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 85%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Denison University General Social Sciences Report

#15 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Flint did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. This medium-sized school is located in Flint, Michigan, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UM Flint did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UM Flint is $9,512 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Michigan - Flint General Social Sciences Report

#11

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana
#19 in overall quality

Indiana University - Southeast landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. New Albany, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

Indiana University - Southeast not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,675 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Southeast.

Full Indiana University - Southeast General Social Sciences Report

University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Dearborn, Michigan, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UM Dearborn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UM Dearborn is $8,057 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 General Social Sciences at University of Michigan - Dearborn

#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 $30-$48k ranking. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Central Michigan also took the #11 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $12,127 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Central Michigan General Social Sciences Report

#14

Shawnee State University

Portsmouth, Ohio

Shawnee State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Shawnee State University is a small school located in Portsmouth, Ohio that handed out 14 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Shawnee State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,254 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Shawnee State University.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Shawnee State University

#15

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio
#18 in overall quality

Cleveland State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cleveland State University is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 16 bachelors’s social sciences 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. The yearly cost to attend Cleveland State University is $14,975 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Social Sciences at Cleveland State University

#16

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene also took the #12 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $15,390 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Olivet Nazarene

#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 $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Hiram, Ohio, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Hiram, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Hiram College is $20,336 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Social Sciences at Hiram College

#18

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

McKendree University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. McKendree is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lebanon, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at McKendree, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for McKendree University is $16,659 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at McKendree

#21 in overall quality

University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. This fairly large school is located in Akron, Ohio, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Akron Main Campus, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,803 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Akron Main Campus.

Full University of Akron Main Campus General Social Sciences Report

#20

Andrews University

Berrien Springs, Michigan
#22 in overall quality

Andrews University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Andrews is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Berrien Springs, Michigan. It awarded 1 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Andrews has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $20,330 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Andrews.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive 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 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%.

Full Andrews University General Social Sciences Report

#21

Rockford University

Rockford, Illinois

Rockford University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Rockford is a small school located in Rockford, Illinois that handed out 1 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Rockford also took the #14 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rockford is $20,380 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about General Social Sciences at Rockford University

#22

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Roosevelt, the school also landed 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 $20,330 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Roosevelt University

#23

Carthage College

Kenosha, Wisconsin
#10 in overall quality

Carthage College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Carthage also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Carthage College is $25,052 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at Carthage

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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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