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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Social Sciences (Income $48-$75k)

147 Ranked Colleges
18,997 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 18,997 people earned their degree in general social sciences, making the major the 54th most popular in the United States. 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.

This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 147 colleges that offered 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.

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

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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 $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Social Sciences (Income $48-$75k)

1
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 258 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, Vanderbilt has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $7,694 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Vanderbilt University

2
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Harvard University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 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 $2,669 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Harvard.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at Harvard University

3
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Johns Hopkins is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 43 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins University is $8,457 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Johns Hopkins

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 21 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $8,106 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at Columbia

5
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 185 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $8,375 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at University of Chicago

6
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,849 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwestern University.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Northwestern General Social Sciences Report

7

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UW Seattle is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 86 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $8,393 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus General Social Sciences Report

8
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Florida State is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 301 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $11,506 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 95%.

Full Florida State General Social Sciences Report

9
SRJC crest
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa, California

Santa Rosa Junior College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SRJC 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SRJC, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Santa Rosa Junior College is $8,738 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Santa Rosa Junior College

10

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 9 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, U-M has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $10,481 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

11

University of Minnesota - Morris did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. UMN Morris is a small public school situated in Morris, Minnesota. It awarded 3 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Morris is $6,691 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at University of Minnesota - Morris

12

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. USF Tampa is located in Tampa, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 158 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $9,669 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Social Sciences at University of South Florida - Main Campus

13
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

With a ranking of #13, University of Utah did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Salt Lake City, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 125 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U of U, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Utah is $13,842 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Social Sciences at University of Utah

14

With a ranking of #14, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.

In addition to being on our social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $13,275 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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 University of California - Irvine

15
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Eugene, Oregon, this large public school handed out 316 diplomas to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, UO has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UO is $16,014 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at University of Oregon

16

With a ranking of #16, Portland State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Portland State University is a large school located in Portland, Oregon that handed out 256 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, Portland State University has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Portland State University is $12,964 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad 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 more about General Social Sciences at Portland State University

17
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Wazzu is a large school located in Pullman, Washington that handed out 337 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wazzu, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,233 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Washington State University.

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 more about General Social Sciences at Wazzu

18

With a ranking of #18, Northern Virginia Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northern Virginia Community College is a large school located in Annandale, Virginia that handed out 524 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Virginia Community College is $10,721 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about General Social Sciences at Northern Virginia Community College

19

The University of West Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. The University of West Florida is located in Pensacola, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of West Florida is $7,301 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full The University of West Florida General Social Sciences Report

20
American River crest
American River College
Sacramento, California

American River College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. American River is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 451 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,806 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend American River College.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at American River College

21

With a ranking of #21, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, Ohio State has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $13,273 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 low undergrad 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 Ohio State University - Main Campus

22

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $9,854 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%. 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 CSUSB

23

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 9 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $14,528 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 UW - River Falls

24

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. UT Rio Grande Valley is a large school located in Edinburg, Texas that handed out 23 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UT Rio Grande Valley is $5,452 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at UT Rio Grande Valley

25
Butte College crest
Butte College
Oroville, California

Butte College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. Butte College is a medium-sized public school situated in Oroville, California. It awarded 372 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Butte College is $9,372 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about General Social Sciences at Butte College

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